DEEPEST SHARK ATTACK

Rodney Temple – October 14, 1972 (Fatal-Not Recovered-Multiple Sharks)
Cane Bay, Virgin Islands, United States

While Rodney Fox is perhaps the most famous "Rodney" associated with shark attacks, the tragic and harrowing death of scuba diver Rodney Temple in October 1972 stands as a profoundly terrifying incident—and remains the deepest fatal shark attack on record.

Temple was initially attacked at a depth of approximately 200 feet (60 meters) by two massive oceanic whitetip sharks, both approaching the maximum recorded species length of 13 feet (3.9 meters). The assault continued as he descended beyond 325 feet (100 meters) into the abyss. His body was never recovered.

Rodney Temple's tragic death is one of the most detailed accounts of a shark attack ever recorded. Eyewitness Bret Gilliam, a fellow diver and Temple’s friend, described the encounter in chilling, firsthand detail in a 2009 blog post.

A Dive into the Abyss

Temple, Gilliam, and fellow diver Robbie McIlvaine were on a contracted mission for a local marine science lab. Their objective: to recover samples from sediment collection instruments placed weeks earlier along the famed Cane Bay Wall—an undersea cliff that drops steeply into the Caribbean depths just 300 yards from shore. The three men were highly experienced technical divers, using advanced gear to reach depths far beyond typical recreational limits.

Conditions were ideal as the trio made the leisurely swim to their surface dive station, then began their descent, with visibility over 125 feet (38 meters) in all directions. They settled at the top of the wall, then pushed down to the first workstation 180 feet (54.8 meters) below.

After finishing up with the first station, the team moved to a second, deeper project station, which required repositioning. It was during this interlude that the sharks first appeared:

“This [repositioning] occupied our attention for most of ten minutes when Rod excitedly tapped me on the shoulder to point out the approach of two oceanic whitetip sharks. This was nothing new to us as we dove with sharks routinely but it was rare to see these notoriously aggressive open ocean species in so close to shore. They passed within about ten feet of us and I shot a few photos as they swam off to the east.”

As Gilliam later stated:

“It was kind of like walking off your back porch and seeing an African lion when you expected an alley cat.”

Despite the ominous appearance of the massive pair, the team was familiar with sharks and initially gave them little thought. After completing their tasks, they began their planned ascent. McIlvaine led the group, Gilliam followed, and Temple, the dive leader, took the rear. 

Thanks to the ideal conditions, the professionalism of the team, and Temple’s meticulous dive plan, the divers were slightly ahead of schedule and planned on approximately 20 minutes of decompression before finishing their dive.

The Attack Begins

Gilliam and McIlvaine paused at a coral ledge at 175 feet to wait for Temple. When he failed to appear, and a cloud of bubbles rose from below, Gilliam signaled McIlvaine—whose air was running low—to continue to the surface while he descended to investigate.

What he found defied belief.

“When I reached Rod things were about as bad as they could get. One of the sharks had bitten him on the left thigh without provocation and blood was gushing in green clouds from the wound. I was horrified and couldn’t believe my eyes. He was desperately trying to beat the 12-foot animal off his leg and keep from sinking deeper. I had no idea where the second shark was and lunged to grab his right shoulder harness strap to pull him up.

"Almost simultaneously the second shark hit Rod in the same leg and bit him savagely. I could see Rod desperately gouging at the shark’s eyes and gills as he grimly fought to beat off his attackers. With my free hand I blindly punched at the writhing torsos of the animals as they tore great hunks of flesh from my friend in flashes of open jaws and vicious teeth. Locked in mortal combat, we both beat at the sharks in frantic panic.”

The sharks vanished as suddenly as they had appeared, granting Gilliam and Temple a brief reprieve. Gilliam recalls glancing upward and spotting Robbie McIlvane at the top of the drop-off 100 feet above, beginning to descend back down to help. As the besieged diver struggled up the sand chute—half-swimming, half-climbing—he clutched Rodney’s harness tightly in his hand. 

The Second Attack

Within seconds the sharks returned and renewed their savage assault on Temple’s badly mauled legs. The massive creatures’ incredible power carried both divers over the dropoff, and soon they were tumbling down the wall face in a rapid, chaotic descent.

Gilliam suddenly felt Temple moving in his grasp, which gave him a sudden surge of renewed hope. He was able to arrest their descent, and they came to rest against the dropoff wall.

“Both sharks retreated into the blue and I watched them circle our position from about ten feet away. To my horror I saw one shark swallow the remains of Rod’s lower left leg right before my eyes. The other gulped a mouthful of flesh it had torn off. I tried to push Rod into the coral in an effort to shield him from another attack but there was nothing to afford any real shelter.

As I turned away from the waiting predators, Rod and I came face to face for the first time during the attack. He shook his head weakly and tried to push me away. I grabbed for his waist harness for a new grip and felt my hand sink into his mutilated torso. There was no harness left to reach for. He had been partially disemboweled.”

A Final, Futile Struggle

In a final, desperate act of heroism, Gilliam attempted one last ascent, dragging Temple upward. But the sharks struck immediately. They ripped Temple from Gilliam’s grasp and slowly vanished into the deep.

“I watched his lifeless body drift into the abyss with the sharks still hitting him. The attack had started around 200 feet. My depth gauge was pegged at 325 feet now but I knew we were far deeper than that. The grimness of my own situation forced itself on me through a fog of narcosis and exertion.”

Battling nitrogen narcosis, shock, and near-total exhaustion, he lost consciousness during his ascent. Miraculously, the last burst of air in his vintage buoyancy vest carried him to the surface.

Survival Against All Odds

Gilliam staggered ashore near death. He was suffering from decompression sickness and mental trauma. McIlvaine, having assumed both men were lost, was en route to seek help (he didn't learn that Gilliam had survived until the following day). By a twist of fate, a honeymooning couple walking along the beach came to the stricken diver's aid. One of them, a nursing intern, recognized the signs of decompression illness and administered lifesaving first aid until paramedics arrived.

Temple was never found. His remains were presumably devoured.

Why This Attack Matters

Depth: Likely the deepest fatal shark attack on record, with depths estimated over 325 feet, potentially reaching 400 feet—an extreme depth for any human encounter with sharks.

Species: Oceanic whitetip sharks are opportunistic, aggressive, and rarely seen near shore, particularly in pairs.

Survivor Account: One of the most detailed shark attack eyewitness reports in diving history, preserved by a professional diver and writer with decades of credibility.

Multiple Sharks: Attacks involving more than one shark on a single person are exceedingly rare.

Gilliam went on to become a legend in the diving community. He passed away in October 2023, leaving behind a haunting and heroic legacy that continues to resonate in marine safety and shark attack literature today.