This 8-year-old boy was mauled by sharks while swimming in the Bahamas

Finley Downer, an 8-year-old boy from Britain, was savagely bitten by sharks during a family holiday in the Bahamas.

8-year-old boy mauled by sharks while swimming in the Bahamas
© Gerard Soury GETTY_IMAGES
8-year-old boy mauled by sharks while swimming in the Bahamas

The Downer family's holiday in the Bahamas was supposed to be heavenly, but it ended in a nightmare. While the family (two parents and their three children) were visiting several Caribbean islands, the youngest child, Finley, 8, was attacked by a group of nurse sharks who are usually not dangerous, as per The Independent.

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A scene out of Jaws

The Downer family in Compass Kay experienced a horrific scene during their summer trip to the Bahamas. While in the Caribbean, the family was at the edge of a lagoon where several nurse sharks were swimming. According to local guides, these sharks are not dangerous, so the parents let their children swim without worrying about the danger.

But as the parents enjoyed their moment of relaxation, suddenly they heard a cry of distress that chilled their blood. It was that of Finley, the youngest of the siblings, he was being bitten by sharks.

Interviewed by The Sun, Finley's father Michael said:

There was so much blood. There were pieces of his leg hanging off. My son could have been killed. It was like a scene from Jaws.

Little boy left seriously injured

In the heat of the moment, his big sister kept her cool and managed to pull Finley out of the fangs of his attackers. Terrified, the little boy thought he was living his last moments. His father painfully recalled:

He kept saying, 'Daddy, I don't want to die. Daddy, I don't want to go to heaven'

Quickly taken care of by emergency services, Finley miraculously survived the attack. He was badly injured, but his legs will be scarred for life.

This article is translated from Gentside FR.

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