Three nurse sharks attacked an 8-year-old British boy during an outing in The Bahamas.
Finley Downer, his siblings and his father Michael were on an excursion to Compass Cay when the horrific attack occurred.
Downer explained that the family believed the sharks at Staniel Cay were harmless, having witnessed the incident.
According to our tour guide, anyone who didn’t take a picture with the sharks on the water wouldn’t be allowed back on board.
‘The water was crystal clear and me and my kids got in, swimming with the sharks and striking them, with lots of others too. The guide said not to be scared and they wouldn’t bite, their teeth was so small, and to be more afraid of the pigs!”
Putting scraps of food, including lobster, into the water to attract sharks closer to children changed their behaviour, he said.
“I heard terrified screaming. The sharks were in a feeding frenzy and were circulating around Finley and Lilly with their tails thrashing. They were trying to beat them off with their hands then Finley was bitten by three on both legs,” he said.
“There was so much blood. Bits of his leg was hanging off. Finlay kept saying, ‘Dad I don’t want to die.’ He was hysterical.”
A nurse was able to assist Findley before he was transported to a local clinic thanks to one of the tourists. Afterwards, Mr Downer had to pay £2,000 for a private plane to take Findley to Nassau for a three-hour operation.
Finley is now back at his home in Weldon recovering from the affair.
