1970s
| Name, Age | Date | Species | Location; Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unidentified male | 1979 | Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark | This victim disappeared while fishing from shore at South Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii. Police divers only recovered the elderly man's severed hand and a flashlight. |
| Danson Nakaima | 1976 | bull shark | Nakaima was presumed to have been killed while scuba diving for black coral at a depth of 180 feet (55 m) off Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. Approximately 30 large sharks were later seen near his partially devoured remains. |
| Stephen C. Powell | July 16, 1976 | Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark | Killed by a shark while scuba diving off Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii, only the lower portion of Powell's body was recovered. |
| John Carter, 17 | July 20, 1974 | Unconfirmed | Carter was killed by a school of small sharks while swimming in the Back River on the southern end of Savannah Beach, Chatham County, Georgia. |
| Billy Horne, 10 | July 2, 1974 | Oceanic whitetip shark | While adrift after the yacht he was in caught on fire and sank, Horne was killed by a shark in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. |
| Rodney Temple | October 14, 1972 | Oceanic whitetip shark (two) | Temple was scuba diving with partners Bret Gilliam and Robbie McIlvaine in calm 80 °F (27 °C) water with 150 feet (46 m) of visibility some 300 yards (270 m) from shore. The experienced divers were retrieving research samples from Cane Bay, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. At a depth of 210 feet (64 m), they noted two oceanic whitetips circling them. Gilliam and McIlvaine began ascending to the surface first, momentarily decompressing on a reef ledge at 175 feet (53 m) before noticing bubbles rising from Temple's position below. Gilliam descended and saw a 12-foot (3.7 m) whitetip biting Temple's left thigh, and the second larger shark attacking immediately afterward and severing Temple's lower left leg. Gilliam grabbed Temple's shoulder harness and began kicking to the surface, but the sharks pulled the two men deeper to 400 feet (120 m), tearing into Temple's abdomen and pulling him out of Gilliam's arms. Gilliam and McIlvaine successfully surfaced and survived; Temple's body was never recovered. This may be the deepest shark attack on record. |
| Ernie Reathaford | March 31, 1970 | Unconfirmed, probably a tiger shark | Swept out to sea by strong surf, Reathaford was bodyboarding at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii. A 15–18-foot (4.6–5.5 m) shark was observed in the area. |
Read more about this topic: List Of Fatal, Unprovoked Shark Attacks In The United States