The water in Matawan Creek was thick, brackish, and definitely not where you’d expect to find a man-eater. It was July 12, 1916. A blistering heatwave had gripped the Northeast, driving everyone—from city slickers to farm boys—into whatever water they could find. Joseph Dunn, just 14 years old at the time, was one of those kids. He wasn't at the beach. He was nearly 30 miles inland from the open ocean, splashing around in a muddy tidal creek in New Jersey.
Then the unthinkable happened.
The Joseph Dunn 1916 shark attack is often overshadowed by the more gruesome deaths that occurred earlier that same day, but his story is actually the most incredible part of that bloody summer. He was the only victim of the Matawan Creek attacks to walk away alive. Barely. While his brother and friends watched in absolute horror, a shark—likely a Great White or a Bull Shark, a debate that still rages among marine biologists today—clamped onto his leg. It was a tug-of-war for a human life in a space barely wider than a two-lane road.
The Context of a Coastal Nightmare
To understand why this mattered so much, you have to realize that in 1916, people didn't really think sharks were a threat. The scientific community, led by figures like Frederic Lucas of the American Museum of Natural History, basically told the public that sharks were scavengers with weak jaws. They thought a shark couldn't possibly bite through a human bone.
They were dead wrong.
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Before the attack on Joseph Dunn, the "Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916" had already claimed three lives. Charles Vansant was killed in Beach Haven on July 1. Charles Bruder was torn apart in Spring Lake on July 6. But those were ocean attacks. People assumed the "sea monster" stayed in the salt water. When Captain Thomas Cottrell spotted a 10-foot shark swimming up the shallow Matawan Creek on the morning of July 12, the townspeople literally laughed at him. They thought he was seeing things.
What Really Happened in the Creek
Later that afternoon, the laughter stopped. Local boy Lester Stilwell was taken first. Then, a brave local businessman named Stanley Fisher dived in to find Lester’s body and was himself fatally bitten.
Enter Joseph Dunn.
Roughly 30 minutes after Fisher was pulled from the water bleeding out, Joseph, his brother Michael, and several friends were swimming at a dock about a half-mile downstream. They hadn't heard the news yet. People on the shore began screaming for them to get out of the water. Joseph was the last one in the line, scrambling up a piling.
Just as he reached for safety, the shark struck.
The animal grabbed his right leg. It wasn't a quick bite; it was a sustained attempt to pull him under. It’s hard to imagine the sheer terror of that moment. You’re 14. You’re in a creek. And something massive is trying to drag you into the muck. His brother Michael and a friend named Jerry Hourihan grabbed Joseph’s arms. It was a literal life-and-death struggle. They managed to tear him away from the shark’s grip, but the damage was catastrophic. His leg was shredded from the knee to the ankle.
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Medical Miracles of 1916
Joseph was rushed to St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick. Honestly, by all accounts of the time, he should have died. Gangrene was a massive killer back then, and blood loss from a femoral artery nick or major tissue damage usually finished the job.
But Dunn was a fighter.
He underwent multiple surgeries. The doctors worked feverishly to save the limb, which was a rarity at the time—often, they’d just saw it off and call it a day. He spent nearly two months in the hospital. The Joseph Dunn 1916 shark attack became a sensation because, amidst a summer of funerals, he was the lone survivor of the "Matawan Man-Eater."
The Great White vs. Bull Shark Debate
This is where things get nerdy and kinda controversial in the world of ichthyology. For decades, the culprit was identified as a Great White shark. Why? Because a few days after the Joseph Dunn attack, a fisherman named Michael Schleisser caught a 7.5-foot Great White in Raritan Bay. Inside its stomach? Human remains.
Case closed, right?
Not exactly. Modern experts like George Burgess and various researchers featured on Discovery Channel’s Shark Week have pointed out a glaring biological fact: Great Whites don't typically like fresh or brackish water. They are salt-water specialists.
Bull Sharks, on the other hand, have unique kidneys that allow them to thrive in low-salinity environments. They’ve been found thousands of miles up the Amazon and Mississippi rivers. Many experts now believe a Bull Shark was responsible for the Matawan Creek attacks, while the Great White caught in the bay was responsible for the earlier ocean attacks. It’s entirely possible there were two different sharks terrorizing the coast that year.
Why This Still Matters Today
The 1916 attacks changed our relationship with the ocean forever. They inspired Peter Benchley to write Jaws. Before Joseph Dunn and the others were bitten, "shark" wasn't a word that sparked fear in the average American. After 1916, it became the ultimate symbol of the "unseen predator."
Dunn lived until 1982. He lived a full life. He didn't let the attack define him, though he reportedly carried the scars—both physical and likely mental—for the rest of his days. His survival is a testament to the quick thinking of his brother and the grit of early 20th-century medicine.
Actionable Insights for Modern Water Safety
While the odds of a shark attack are astronomically low (you’re more likely to be struck by lightning), the 1916 events taught us some practical lessons that still hold up.
- Respect Tidal Changes: In 1916, the shark entered the creek on a high tide, which brought more salt water further inland. If you're near a coastal inlet, realize that high tide can bring larger marine life into areas that seem "safe" and shallow.
- Don't Ignore Local Warnings: Captain Cottrell tried to warn the town, but he was ignored. If locals or lifeguards tell you there's a sighting, don't assume you're the exception to the rule.
- Avoid Murky Water: Bull sharks hunt by vibration and "bump-and-bite" tactics in low visibility. Matawan Creek was extremely silty. If you can't see your feet in the water, you're at a disadvantage.
- Swim in Groups: Joseph survived because people were there to pull him out. Solitary swimmers in 1916 fared much worse.
The Joseph Dunn 1916 shark attack serves as a grim reminder that nature is unpredictable. Even in a quiet New Jersey creek, the wild can find you. But it’s also a story of survival against all odds—a young boy who faced a monster and won.
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Check local beach records and modern shark tracking apps like Ocearch if you frequent the Jersey Shore. Knowledge is the best way to keep the fear of 1916 in the history books where it belongs.