A New England man is recovering after a shark attack turned a dream vacation in the Bahamas into a frightening ordeal.
John Schweizer, of Connecticut, and his family traveled to the Caribbean to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary. During the trip, Schweizer said he joined a snorkeling excursion that allowed participants to swim alongside reef sharks.
Before entering the water, he said he was assured the sharks would not pose a threat.
That changed in an instant.
“I got hit pretty hard,” Schweizer recalled. “My wife yelled at me to quit fooling around. And I knew it was a shark.”
Schweizer compared the bite to being attacked by a large dog.
“If you ever got bitten by a large dog, you would know. It hits you hard and quick,” he said.
The encounter left Schweizer with serious injuries. He required 26 stitches in his shin and another four stitches in his hand.
Despite the frightening experience, he is expected to recover.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, unprovoked attacks involving Caribbean reef sharks are exceedingly rare.
The museum says only four such attacks have ever been documented.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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