An eight-year-old boy has been left with leg injuries after being attacked by three sharks while on holiday in The Bahamas.
His horrified dad said the terrifying incident was like 'a scene out of Jaws'.
British schoolboy, Finley Downer, was on holiday with his family when the attack took place.
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Together with his dad Michael, 44, and siblings, Lily, nine, and Emily, 12, they’d gone on a five-island excursion which included guided swimming with pigs and a visit to Compass Cay, a protected harbour.
While on the trip the children saw a group of nurse sharks swimming in a nearby lagoon.
Unaware that the animals were feeding on scraps being thrown to them, the children went over, which is when the horrifying attack took place.
“Suddenly, I heard terrified scream and saw dozens circling Finley,” Mr Downer told The Sun. “There was so much blood. Bits of his leg were hanging off.
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“My son could have been killed. It was like a scene out of Jaws.”
The boy was dragged to safety by his sister Lily, before being taken to the nearest hospital on a golf buggy.
His dad then had to pay for a £2,000 to take his son to Nassau where he underwent a three-hour operation.
The family are now back at their home in Kettering, Northamptonshire, but Finley now has to use a wheelchair while he waits for his legs to heal.
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Mr Downer, who works as sales manager, has been left livid at the tour guides of the trip, after they told him the sharks were safe.
However, Exuma Escapes, which put on the excursions, said the family went into the lagoon which isn’t used on its tour without a guide.
On its website it says: “Our skilled and experienced captains and guides have first-hand knowledge of the Bahamas.
“We love Nature. We also respect our environment and love to share our knowledge.”
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It also adds that during the tours they have 'regular visits by nurse sharks and turtles are part of the fun.'
Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom dwellers and can measure up to 14 feet. They have strong jaws filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth.
They use these strong jaws to crush and eat shellfish but usually prefer to feast on fish, shrimp and squid.
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Unlike most other sharks they are smooth to the touch and they have distinctive tail fins that can be up to a quarter of their total length.
While they are normally considered harmless to humans, they will bite in defence if they are stepped on or bothered by divers who often assume they’re docile.
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: Travel, World News, News