Terrifying moment diver is rammed by a shark which sneaked up behind him off Florida coast
Terrifying moment a diver is rammed by a shark that snuck up behind him while he was spearfishing off the Florida coast
- Paul Dabill was spearfishing off Jupiter, Florida when he spotted the shark
A hungry shark in search of lunch stalks a diver from behind in blood-curdling footage.
Paul Dabill was spearfishing in the waters off Jupiter, Florida, when he caught a snapper.
Little did he know he wasn’t alone – a shark had been lurking and the diver was now sandwiched between the predator and his lunch.
“I had just shot a snapper and was going to get the fish back,” said 48-year-old Paul.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but a shark was watching me and as soon as I shot the fish, it decided to go after it too.
Paul Dabill was spearfishing in the waters off Jupiter, Florida, when he spotted the shark
The curious shark, believed to be a nurse shark, snuck up behind him while he was diving
It wasn’t until the shark collided with him that he saw it
“It swam from behind and under me, so I didn’t see the shark until it bumped into me. It was very shocking to say the least!’
Mr Dabill, a restaurateur and photographer, is all too aware of the risk of spearfishing in Floridian waters.
He said, “There are always sharks around where we spearfish in southeast Florida. You should always be aware of their presence.
“The riskiest time is when a fish gets speared — that’s when the sharks go after it.”
“Great care must be taken to retrieve the fish and it must be removed from the water as quickly as possible.
“As soon as we collided, I swam to the surface and the shark swam in a different direction.”
Paul believes the shark that rammed him was a nurse shark.
“In general, they are not a dangerous species,” he said.
Mr Dabill said that while nurse sharks are not considered dangerous, they are known for stealing fish from spear fishermen
Despite their docile reputation, nurse sharks (pictured in an aquarium in Thailand) were actually ranked fourth for documented shark attacks on humans by a 2016 paper
“However, they have been known to steal fish from spear fishermen and divers collecting lobsters.
“If your hand gets in the way of the shark trying to eat something, a bite could result.”
Despite their docile reputation, nurse sharks were actually ranked fourth for documented shark attacks on humans by a 2016 paper.
When they attack, they bite with powerful, mischievous jaws and can inflict serious injury.
In some cases, their jaws close and victims can only be freed by surgical intervention, according to the Florida Museum.
But they normally feed on smaller prey and rarely attack humans unprovoked.
The shark-diver encounter in Florida comes just days after a Russian tourist was mauled by a shark in the Egyptian resort of Hurghada.
The gruesome attack was witnessed by the victim’s father and girlfriend, believed to be 23-year-old Vladimir Popov.