What was supposed to be the dive of a lifetime turned into a nightmare for British scuba diver Dan White, as he watched in horror while a white-tip shark viciously attacked a fellow diver.
Though the harrowing incident occurred in 2018, the chilling memory remains seared into Dan’s mind.
Dan and his partner, Shaunie Thomas, were completing their deep-diver certification near the Brother Islands, off the coast of Egypt, when they found themselves face-to-face with a deadly predator.
Only five meters underwater, Dan noticed a shark approaching the group and instinctively began filming with his GoPro, capturing what initially seemed to be a routine encounter.
At first, the shark glided harmlessly above the divers, but as Dan’s footage shows, its behavior suddenly changed. The animal circled one of the divers and snapped at his flippers, displaying aggressive intent.
The diver managed to kick the shark away, but the predator quickly turned its attention to another man—and launched a ferocious attack.
In a gruesome scene, the shark latched onto the man’s leg, violently spinning him in the water, before ripping off part of his calf muscle, turning the crystal-blue waters red with blood.
Appearing in the 2023 documentary Why Sharks Attack, Dan described the horrifying ordeal:
“It bit onto the diver’s leg, latched on, and they ended up spinning almost like a cartwheel. It was crazy—it wouldn’t let go for what felt like forever, and it tore off his calf muscle.”
The terrified screams of another diver pierced through the water as they watched the horrific mauling unfold. Despite the agonizing pain, the injured diver managed to free himself from the shark’s razor-sharp jaws.
His haunting cries were captured in Dan’s footage, a chilling reminder of the savage attack.
Thankfully, the diver was rushed back to the boat, where he received emergency medical treatment before being transported to a hospital, where his leg was saved.
A Surge in Shark Attacks
Dan’s horrifying encounter is just one in a series of brutal shark attacks that have left swimmers and divers across the world terrified.
Just last week, a Canadian tourist suffered life-altering injuries after a bull shark ripped off both of her hands in a vicious attack in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The 55-year-old woman had been swimming when the seven-foot predator suddenly bumped into her legs, circled back, and bit into her thigh.
Instinctively, she raised her hands to protect herself, but the shark clamped down, severing both hands—one at the mid-forearm and the other at the wrist.
Her horrified husband heroically intervened, wrestling the shark away from his wife until she staggered out of the water and collapsed on the beach.
Graphic photos show bystanders desperately trying to stop the bleeding, wrapping her arms in cloth before paramedics rushed her to the hospital.
She was later flown back to Canada via air ambulance for further surgery and rehabilitation.
Authorities confirmed the attack, which took place in the waters off Thompson’s Cove Beach on February 7.
A Global Pattern of Shark Attacks
According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, there were 69 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide last year, 14 of them fatal.
The United States recorded the most attacks, with 36 cases, while swimmers and waders accounted for 43% of victims.
Elsewhere in the Caribbean, two American tourists were left badly injured after being attacked by sharks off the coast of Bimini Bay, Bahamas. Both women required airlift transport for urgent medical care.
How to Survive a Shark Encounter
Experts advise that if a shark approaches, remaining still and avoiding sudden movements is crucial.
If attacked, the best defense is to strike the shark in the nose, a sensitive area that may deter the animal.
If a shark is circling without immediate aggression, experts recommend staying calm and vigilant until it loses interest and swims away.
