Coast Guard shoots at shark, About 40 crew members were enjoying a swim break

 Coast Guard shoots at shark, About 40 crew members were enjoying a swim break.

Outsiders are often left bewildered if asked to describe the complexities of what the Coast Guard does, at least without offering a gauche “guard the coast” quip.

If anything, the service’s intricate mission now appears even more perplexing after a scene that unfolded last week aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball.

About 40 crew members were enjoying a swim break — replete with an inflatable unicorn named Charles — in the western Pacific when a shark, estimated to be between six to eight feet long, tried to join in the fun.

Unfortunately for the oceanic resident, Coast Guard personnel are known to enforce a strict “We prefer to keep our limbs” policy.

So, as the shark neared the crew, Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Cintron opened fire.

“Fortunately everyone safely cleared the water, and the shark appeared uninjured as it swam away,” a DoD release said.