Shark attack

An Amity child was killed on Monday in what appears to have been the second of two shark attacks in the Amity beach area.

Alex Kitner, 10, was floating on a rubber raft just off of crowded Village Beach, when he was killed in an apparent “vicious and unprovoked shark attack,” Police Chief Michael Brody said.

An unidentified attacker, possibly a shark, emerged from the water mauling the young boy.  Following the attack, Kintner disappeared into the ocean water. 

Kintner’s body has not been recovered, but his damaged raft did float to shore in the wake of the incident.  There were no other injuries reported.

Kintner’s death has been linked to last night’s death of Amity teenager Chrissie Watson. The mangled  body of the  17-year-old Watson, a senior at Amity High School, was found washed up on the beach by Deputy Jay Hendricks of the Amity Police Department earlier this morning.  

“We now believe that it may be possible that the Watson death could also maybe have possibly been linked to possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity,” said Brody.

Watson was last seen alive around 11 PM last night, leaving a beach party with Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III, a sophomore at Trinity College.  Hoggenbottam claims to have last seen Watson when she decided to go swimming at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach bell bouy.

Watson’s body has been transported to the coroner’s office for an autopsy, according to the Amity Police.  The autopsy report has yet to be released.   

“I join Amity Mayor Larry Vaughn in expressing the town’s deepest and most sincere condolences to the Kintner family,” Brody said in a press release.  “Now we know that these random acts of senseless violence, victimizing innocent, helpless citizens do not just happen in the city,” he said.

Brody also offered his condolences for the Watson family.

“We send our best wishes to the family of young Chrissie Watson,” Brody said in a press conference on Monday. “We are truly devastated that such a tragedy would happen in our town.”

Kintner’s mother, Marion, has been taken to Amity General hospital to be treated for shock.

A special meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. tonight, at which Mayor Vaughn, Chief Brod, and the Amity Board of Selectmen will be in attendance, to discuss plans to close the beaches on July Fourth.