A young boy was attacked by three sharks while visiting the Bahamas. The 8-year-old was on a five-island tour with his family when the attack occurred.
Finley Downer was swimming in a lagoon when three nurse sharks surrounded him and bit both of his legs. He was eventually pulled to safety.
Finley was taken to a nearby hospital in Nassau and underwent an extensive three-hour operation before being restored to stable health. His family worried that he was going to die.
Finley's father, Michael Downer, told The Sun that the scene was brutal, adding, "It was like a scene out of Jaws."
Finley's 9- and 12-year-old sisters were also swimming nearby when the attack happened.
Following the attack, Finley turned to his father and said, "Dad, I don’t want to die."
Luckily, Finley pulled through the surgery and is now back home with his family in England.
The family reportedly went into a lagoon that was not authorized for visitation by their tour operator.
Finley's older sister ultimately rescued him from the sharks, dragging the boy to safety.
Michael Downer explained to The Sun that his children saw the group of sharks and went to get an up-close look at them without realizing the sharks were being fed food scraps by other tourists. He said, "Suddenly, I heard a terrified scream and saw dozens circling Finley."
He went on, "There was so much blood. Bits of his leg were hanging off. My son could have been killed."
The tour company explained that the sharks "were initially brought as pets, however, after gaining popularity through tourism, the Compass Cay Marina has turned the environment into a sanctuary."
