OGDENSBURG, N.J. (Sussex County) – Many people in this small borough of Sussex County were talking this week about three photos of a shark swimming in Ogdensburg’s Heaters Pond, which is located near Edison Rd.
“Saw Heaters was closed on Saturday. Probably cause I sent these photos I took at the Pond to the Mayor and Council. The first pic is the shark swimming around the kiddy area. The middle photo I took while standing on top of the rock behind where the raft would be. The third is back by the kiddy area just before you get on the road to the island. Probably someone from the city put it there as they could not keep it or care for it anymore. Be careful letting your children swim at Heaters,” Greg Galindo said on the “We Grew Up In Ogdensburg, N.J.” Facebook page.
Since Galindo started the post Sunday evening, people started commenting on if this was real or fake and hundreds of people shared it on Facebook.
“Are you serious? I’m coming up in a couple days,” Cindy DeBlock said.
The real reason the pond was closed Saturday is explained by Facebook poster Bethany Ficacci, “The lake was scheduled to be closed that Saturday for weeks due to the swim championships. And I’m pretty sure if there was a ‘shark’, it would be closed for more than just a Saturday. But thanks for the entertainment.”
“This isn’t funny considering I’m a lifeguard at heaters pond,” Alexa Batelli said.
Greg Galindo replied, “So sorry someone stole your sense of humor. This wasn’t about you anyway. It was about O’Burg and the Pond that we used to go to when you weren’t even a thought. So chill Honey.”
According to a tweet received by the NJ Herald, The pictures were actually taken by Massachusetts state officials in 2004 when a great white shark landed on Naushon Island, near Cape Cod.
“The timing was right for a light-hearted moment this summer,” he said, adding that August 1 could now become an annual celebration of “Willie Jaws, the Heaters Pond shark,” Ogdensburg Mayor Steve Ciasullo told the NJ Herald.
