We salute the badass Coastie who opened fire on a friggin' shark that crashed his crew's swim call

[rangerrebew]

We salute the badass Coastie who opened fire on a friggin' shark that crashed his crew's swim call

    James Clark
 
A group of lucky Coasties avoided starring in an impromptu remake of Jaws thanks to the quick trigger finger of a fellow crewmate on Wednesday.

As a way to break up the daily monotony of life at sea, the 40-person crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball was recently rewarded with a swim call — meaning everyone kicks off their flippy-floppies (or combat boots) and leaps into the wide-open ocean.

However, they had an unexpected, and entirely unwanted guest: an 8-foot Mako shark.

https://taskandpurpose.com/mandatory-fun/coast-guard-shark-attack-shooting

[sneakypete]

Somehow I think the Coasties are going to be hearing about that giant floating unicorn "play toy" they swim with.

[EdinVA]

So, a guy 20 feet or so out of the water, firing an M-16 at a fish is a badass?
My how our standards have changed....

[sneakypete]

So, a guy 20 feet or so out of the water, firing an M-16 at a fish is a badass?
My how our standards have changed....

@EdinVA

Well,to be fair,I guess a lot of people have never seen the real thing,so it doesn't take much to impress them.

Their heads would probably explode if Mad Dog Shriver were still alive,and they were to see him in action. Just seeing him wouldn't impress anyone. Looked totally harmless. In fact,kind of looked like a wuss.

[rangerrebew]

My ship was operating off San Diego and had a man overboard drill with the motor whaleboat team lowered into the water.  All went well until the whaleboat began it's trip to the ocean and lines got snagged.  It overturned and everyone on board got familiar with the Pacific Ocean unexpectedly.  Out came the Marines with their weapons to protect the rescue team who were now in need of being rescued.  I was on a catwalk watching the fiasco and there was a Marine also, "protecting" the swim team.  I looked down and their was a shark swimming by, so I asked the Marine if he was going to shoot it to which he replied: "I ain't got orders to shoot nothing."  The feeling of safety I had for the swimmers quickly evaporated.  My point in all this is the Coastie may have been close but he chased off the danger, unlike the Marines on my ship.