A lifeguard in Maine said he "started swimming like hell" when a shark grabbed onto his buoy and pulled him underwater off the coast of Scarborough Beach on Saturday. Wilfert said he was pulled about 5 feet underwater before he was able to get free and emerge on shore unharmed. More shark sightingsOfficials along the East Coast say there are more sharks closer to shore in areas where they don't usually go. This is a large volume, larger than I've seen, and I've worked this area for 30-plus years," Granata said. The trend is happening as conservation efforts have led to an increase in marine life populations in recent years, experts say.