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\"It'd be very unusual to have an encounter, I thought,\" Freeman said. \"I might have fallen on him if I had lost my balance.\"

Freeman, 54, said he was unaware that the shark was so close until DeGroff showed him the photos.

\"Don't look down is what they say, right?\" Freeman remarked. \"I'm glad I got to go home for breakfast and not be breakfast.\"

In the wake of the incredible encounter, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy -- a nonprofit organization that raises awareness and conservation of sharks through research -- tweeted about a similar incident at the exact same location two years ago.

A similar incident was captured in photos by our spotter pilot Wayne Davis in October 2016 also at Nauset Beach. https://t.co/nYfMorQIZW Good reminder to be #SharkSmart and brush up on safety recommendations. https://t.co/7vVI0IXrpN pic.twitter.com/XoPmJh421m

— MA Sharks ?? (@MA_Sharks) August 1, 2018

Beachgoers, especially in the Cape Cod area, should always be hyper vigilant of sharks in the water.

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