We all remember that chilling music and the iconic line, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

But long before Steven Spielberg turned Jaws into a pop culture phenomenon, the terror of a man-eating shark was all too real—and it happened in the summer of 1916 off the coast of New Jersey.

A new book dives into these chilling events and how they shaped one of the greatest thrillers of all time.

A Summer of Panic on the Jersey Shore

In what should have been a relaxing beach season, horror gripped New Jersey’s coastlines when five people were attacked by a shark within just two weeks.

Four of them lost their lives, and one barely made it out alive.

It was so terrifying that even when a swimmer began drowning later that month, no one dared to rescue him—they were too afraid they’d be the shark’s next victim.

Echoes of Jaws in Real Life

Much like the fictional town of Amity in Spielberg’s Jaws, real-life officials in 1916 were hesitant to close beaches.

The fear of losing tourism dollars outweighed the threat to human life.

In fact, local mayors went as far as issuing a joint statement claiming beach closures were damaging the resort business “without cause”—even after multiple fatal attacks.

Historian Rachel Lee Perez explores these haunting parallels in her new book, The Real Jaws – The Attacks That Inspired The Movies, showing just how closely Spielberg’s thriller mirrored true events from decades earlier.

The First Attack: A Holiday Turns Horrific

The nightmare began on July 1, 1916.

A young man named Charles Vansant, 23, went for a swim near Beach Haven while his dog played on the shore.

He didn’t know a shark lurked beneath.

His screams were mistaken for play at first, but they were cries of pain—the shark had torn through his left thigh.

Though a lifeguard pulled him out, Vansant bled to death. Shockingly, the incident was downplayed to avoid scaring away vacationers.

The Blood in the Water Continues

Just days later, on July 6, the shark struck again—this time at Spring Lake.

Charles Bruder, a Swiss hotel bell captain, was enjoying a swim when the shark attacked, tearing through his abdomen and severing his legs.

His blood dyed the water red.

Bystanders fainted as his mangled body was dragged ashore.

Then, on July 12, things took an even darker turn.

Matawan Creek Massacre

That afternoon, several boys were playing in Matawan Creek, a narrow waterway far from the open ocean.

Earlier, a sea captain had warned locals after spotting a large shark swimming inland—but no one took him seriously.

They should have.

A dorsal fin suddenly appeared.

Chaos broke out. One boy, Lester Stillwell, was pulled under and never resurfaced.

A brave local man, Watson Fisher, jumped in to help but was killed as well. Barely half an hour later, 14-year-old Joseph Dunn was attacked nearby.

The shark grabbed his leg, but his brother and a friend managed to pull him free after a desperate tug-of-war.

Dunn survived and later recalled feeling the shark’s throat on his leg, saying, “I believe it would have swallowed me.”

A Nation Gripped by Shark Terror

As news of the attacks spread, the American public became obsessed.

The press covered every detail.

Desperate to stop the killer, locals began laying dynamite in the water and installing steel nets at popular beaches.

Rewards were offered to anyone who could bring the shark down.

Finally, on July 14, a taxidermist named Michael Schleisser caught an 8-foot, 325-pound great white shark in Raritan Bay.

When he cut it open, he found human remains.

The killing spree seemed to end there.

Schleisser mounted the shark in a Manhattan shop window—a grisly trophy to calm the panic.

The Jaws Connection

Peter Benchley’s 1974 novel Jaws, which Spielberg later adapted into the blockbuster film, drew heavily—though unofficially—from the 1916 attacks.

Rachel Lee Perez explains that Benchley never openly credited the real-life events, but Spielberg included a clear nod in the film: Chief Brody mentions “the Jersey beach, 1916—five people chewed up on the surf.”

Perez outlines multiple similarities:

Both the book and the 1916 incidents involved four fatalities.
In both cases, beach officials resisted closing the area despite the danger.
The attacks took place in quaint resort towns, just like Beach Haven.
Public shark hunts were organized in both the novel and real life.

During her research, Perez spoke to New Jersey historians who claimed Benchley privately admitted the 1916 attacks were a major inspiration for his novel.

A Legacy That Changed How We See Sharks

The real tragedy of 1916 didn’t just spark one of the most iconic thrillers ever made—it also cemented a fear of sharks in the public imagination.

Perez argues that the events created a lasting, and largely inaccurate, image of sharks as ruthless human hunters.

Spielberg’s Jaws, while a cinematic masterpiece, amplified that fear even further.

A New Take on a Forgotten Nightmare

Rachel Lee Perez’s The Real Jaws brings long-forgotten terror back into the spotlight, blending historical analysis with cultural commentary.

It sheds light not just on the horror of those attacks, but also on how they reshaped our relationship with the ocean and the creatures within it.

The book is published by Pen & Sword and hits shelves on June 30, priced at £22.

If you’re a fan of Jaws, true crime, or chilling history, this one might just pull you into the deep end.