A British family enjoying an island holiday have been left “terrified” after being circled by a shark while on the beach.
Mum Jessica Kenny, 27, was paddling in the sea with her four-year-old son at Playa Arenal d’en Castell on the Spanish island of Menorca, when she spied the ocean-dwelling killer.
She quickly clocked it was heading for her 57-year-old dad Darren, who was swimming towards bouys on Monday, May 6.
READ MORE: Beach at holiday hotspot evacuated after ‘7ft’ beast spotted in waters
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Passersby began screaming and calling for the lifeguard, who swiftly called for backup and put the red flags out, as children were evacuated from the water.
(Image: Jessica Kenny / SWNS)
Jessica, a GP receptionist from Liverpool, said: “I was only up to my waist with my little boy – while my dad had swam ahead.
“We were laughing and joking because it was cold.
“Then we saw a weird thing sticking out the water – we were joking around, saying it must be a shark.
“But we didn’t really believe it.
“It was quite strange, zig-zagging around us.
“As it came closer, we realised the thing sticking out of the water was a fin.
“We were like, ‘oh my god – that’s a shark’.”
(Image: Jessica Kenny / SWNS)
The mum-of-two ran out of the water with her son – while others on the beach laughed.
But Jessica realised the shark – believed to be a blue shark – was heading towards her dad who had started swimming back to the beach.
She said: “We’d lost sight of it after we turned around.
“But we then saw it was following my dad back to the beach.
“It was circling around him – but it wasn’t going for him, if that makes sense.
“Honestly it was so scary, but my dad loves everything to do with the sea.
“When we were back on the beach, he was so excited.”
Jessica’s son on the other hand, was “a bit upset and worried” after the ordeal.
“My dad was telling him how lucky he was to have seen a shark at four years old,” Jessica added. “In all his 57 years, he’d never seen one.
“They decided to name it Freddie.”
The lifeguards were still trying to chase Freddie out of the beach when the family left at 4.35pm, an hour after the shark was first spotted.
Darren, a lorry driver, said: “It was such a surreal experience.
“I’ve always wanted to see a shark – even going snorkeling in Jamaica and Cuba just so I could spot one.
“I can’t believe I swam with one in Menorca, with my daughter and grandson.”
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