By KIP HILL | The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash. | Published: February 26, 2021 SPOKANE, Wash. (Tribune News Service) Lance Cpl. Brad Hallock woke to a very bad software glitch on Feb. 25, 1991. The just-turned-20-year-old Marine Corps reservist found himself in an M1-A1 Abrams tank as a column of Iraqi tanks rolled along less than 2 miles away from his position. He looked through his sights, but found only a large letter F indicating a failure of the 68-ton war machine s targeting systems. I had a different word I was thinking of, at that point, Hallock said in an interview this week. What followed in the next 10 or so minutes was the largest tank engagement in Marine Corps history, a designation likely to remain for some time as the service elected last year to eliminate its three tank battalions as part of a restructuring of the Corps mission.
unlike most shark swimming tours, with this one, you are up close and figure. ocean figured giving people this experience and having them come away with it with all their limbs intact would do more to help sharks than any research she could publish. i didn t get eaten. you can t go diving with a shark, find out how amazing they are and not want to try and do something to help save them. i see that change in people every single day. the switch from fear to fascination. i have to say, jose, when you get to the place where they park the boat and you see that dorsal fin and they just say, dive in what kind of sharks were they? when i was there, there were sand shark and a galapagos shark came by. j.j., thank you so much. cool experience but it is kind of tough, right, first time?
reporter: contributing factor, perhaps a perfect storm of environmental and biological variables. some sharks feed on turtles and small fish close to shore. drought conditions could play a role, among other things. certainly warm water this year, higher sill lynntys, bait fishes in the water, turtle nesting season, all factors that would promote more sharks on the beach. reporter: one of the attacks happened near a pier in north carolina. too close for comfort for fourth of july weekend surfers and holidayers. the other day i saw about a five-foot sand shark and it was within eight feet of me. but stayed out in the water. it s its natural habitat. we re in its home. have to be aware and of your surroundings and be careful. reporter: the likelihood of
reporter: new video out of florida shows a kayaker fishing for grouper and getting a bigger bite than he hoped for, a bull shark. and frantically swam for safety as others circled nearby. i saw about a five-foot sand shark and it was within eight feet of me. they are around us more closer and moving around. reporter: at least ten attacks in the carolinas since june. that s more than the yearly average in just one month. this time of year we have the migration of coastal species. reporter: along with migration, a buffet of nesting sea turtles and warmer weather could attract swimmers to the beach. people are fishing in sharks
of july surfers and holiday goers. the other day i saw a 5-foot sand shark. and it was within 8 feet of me, but, i mean it stayed out in the water. it s the natural habitat. it is hanging out there, we are in it s home. we just have to be aware of your surroundings and be careful. reporter: we don t want to scare you here. the probability of being bitten by a shark not that high. a about a one in more than 11 million chance. more of a likelihood to be struck by lightning or become president of the united states. even still keep your head on a swivel out there if you plan to go into the ocean this weekend. experts say swim in groups and avoid swimming at dawn or dusk when sharks are most active. and stay away from the pier. nick valencia thank you so much. reporter: stay away from piers, all that stuff. you got it. turn to the screen for a moment because this is the shocker of the day. what you re looking at here is