NANTUCKET, MASS. (WHDH) - A local man planning an 18-mile swim for charity in Cape Cod is hoping a bracelet will keep away the sharks that have been spotted in the waters off the Cape all summer.
Doug McConnell will swim from Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard to raise money for ALS research to fight the “cruel, horrible disease” that has affected his family. And while he has a crew on motorboats and kayaks to surround him as he makes the swim, he has a special deterrent for any sharks that happen to be nearby.
“It’s a Velco device that goes around your ankle, and it weighs less than a pound,” McConnell said. “Trying to deal with sharks in their environment is something that’s pretty important if you want to keep swimming.”
The E-Shark Force bracelet doesn’t harm sharks, but it jams the electrical signals sharks use to find their prey, McConnell said.
But even with the bracelet, there’s no guarantee the sharks will stay away, and McConnell says he knows what to do if any get too close.
“We’re not looking to be a hero, here. If we see sharks, we’re gonna get out of the water,” McConnell said. “But this should keep them at bay until we can kind of get a good look at them.”
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