A 26-year-old man was attacked and killed by a shark in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Saturday afternoon, the area's first fatal attack in more than 80 years.
Officials identified the man as Arthur Medici of Revere. His friends told WCVB he moved to the U.S. from Brazil to attend college. An avid surfer, Medici was enjoying one of the final days of summer on Newcomb Hollow Beach when the attack occurred.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by his family and friends, Medici was a "very happy young man," and "an active member of a Christian church, devoting his life to the Lord.
"He loved hiking, biking, surfing and various other sports," the page read. "There was never a bad time for him. He was always joyful and willing to help others, even going as far as feeding the homeless. He was happily engaged to a smart, kindhearted medical student with a bright future.
"Our lives are are never going to be the same without him. His laughter filled our home and he will be greatly missed by us all."
Witness Joe Booth told the Providence Journal that everything seemed calm when he suddenly noticed "a giant eruption of water."
"I saw a tail and a lot of thrashing,” Booth said. “You could tell by the body language of the guys in the water something wasn’t right.”
Medici was carried out of the water unconscious, Booth said. "He definitely looked like he was in a world of hurt.”
Isaac Rocha, Medici's friend, pulled him out of the water.
“I saw a shark tail or something, part of a shark," he told CBS Boston. "I swam to him as fast as I could at that moment.”
Beachgoers banded together to try to save Medici while they waited for help, trying to stop his bleeding with "towels and the cord from a boogie board," another witness said.
Unfortunately, Medici died of his injuries.
Officials suspect Medici was killed by a great white shark.
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