Bull sharks are large, powerful, and highly aggressive predators. Among the sharks which have gained the most notoriety in the eyes of people, it is the bull shark which is considered the most dangerous. Though it may not grow as large as the infamous great white shark, make no mistake; the bull shark is a fearsome hunter in its own right. Preferring the same warm, shallow beaches which attract countless people every year and capable of surviving in freshwater environments for extended periods of time, the chances of running into a bull shark are much higher than those of encountering most other sharks.

Said in myths to strip an entire cow to the bone in seconds and dilacerate humans who dare to swim through their domain, the piranha is considered one of the most vicious creatures in all of creation. Their violent reputation has been developed by the media, with the piranha commonly being portrayed as a mindless killer in horror movies. Even President Theodore Roosevelt was left impressed by a piranha feeding frenzy he witnessed in Brazil, labeling the piranha as “the most ferocious fish in the world” in his 1914 book, Through the Brazilian Wilderness.

It is July 1, 1916. Charles Epting Vansant, 25, is on vacation with his family in Beach Haven, a resort town in Long Beach Island. He makes his way to the beach for a swim before returning to his family for dinner. Vansant enters the water with a Chesapeake Bay retriever which was playing on the beach. All seems well. That is, until he begins screaming.