TIMES RECORD • October 12, 2021
Harpswell officials hoisted a flag intended to warn beachgoers if a shark was spotted nearby just twice in its first summer under the new flag alert system, adopted one year after a fatal shark attack off the coast of Bailey Island. In late May, Harpswell voted to raise a purple flag with a white shark silhouette at Mitchell Field, Mackerel Cove and Cedar Beach when there is a reported shark sighting within a quarter mile. On July 11, there was an unconfirmed shark sighting in the Bailey Island and Pond Island area, according to the town’s website. One month later, on Aug. 16, a shark was spotted about a half mile south of Bailey Island.