Delaware

Shark Landmark is ‘Swimming' Again in its Roadside Tank After Crash

The iconic "shark in a box" along Route 13 has been repaired and brought back to life thanks to help from community members and businesses in and around Odessa, Delaware

Side by Side images of Odessa bait and tackle shop shark in tank landmark and red car crashed into it, and to the right, a picture of the new and repaired landmark standing.
Patty Foley

An early morning car crash on February 5 left Captain Bones Bait & Tackle's beloved outdoor landmark - its "shark in a box" - severely damaged in Odessa, Delaware.

Pat Foley, owner of Captain Bones, said that the crash left the shark with a broken fin and knocked it off of its original hanging wires inside the tank.

The driver of the vehicle also apparently slammed into the steel poles holding up the tank.

Now, the shark is up in its display and hanging once again. The shark is still the original replica from when it was created in Florida in 1989.

"It's the same mold, but painted and fixed," Foley told NBC10.

The roadside attraction resembles the mako shark caught off the shore of the Indian River Inlet by Foley's nephew, Richard H. Reed.

The 840-pound catch, at the time, set a Delaware state record. The new record for shortfin mako shark is now 975 pounds. 

Pat explained that her nephew, Glen Foley, took charge of the rebuild. Local businesses also got involved in helping the shark return to its place on South Du Pont Highway, including Kirkins Exterior in Delaware, who created a new roof for the shark's display.

"The shark had to go for a spa week at Bill Petrick's [Petrick] Taxidermy," Pat said. "It was a process, but it's up and it looks good. Everyone's happy to see it back."

A thank you sign from the Captain Bones family hangs outside by the shark, thanking the people and businesses who donated their time and were involved in bringing the mako back to life.

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