A family’s beach day at New Smyrna Beach in Florida was cut short thanks to an unwanted guest. The party crasher? None other than a real life shark. Had it not been for Dan Watson ’s drone footage, the day could have taken a scary turn for the worst.
“See that dark shadow making its way straight for the shore and those people? That was my view this weekend while flying my Mavic 2 Pro . And oh, three of those people are my kids,” he writes in an Instagram post which captures the shark lurking just about 20 feet away from his children.
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Watson knew right away that the dark image on his screen was most certainly a shark, and without thinking he dropped the drone’s controls and yelled for his wife to get their kids and their kids’ friends out of the water immediately, TODAY reports .
Watson is a professional photographer and videographer and normally only uses the drone for work purposes. But, for whatever reason, he decided to snap an aerial shot of his children that day (FYI, drones are legal on New Smyrna Beach as long as they are flown at a specified altitude in a designated space between sunrise and sunset). As captured in the photos, the shark was getting way too close for comfort, and the dad shudders to think what would have happened if he hadn’t thought to grab that shot.
Once the kids evacuated the ocean, Watson used his drone to watch the shark swim away. Although they’re frequent beach-goers, the family says they’ll certainly be swimming with extra caution from now on. “I think we’re going to work on our sandcastle skills now,” the dad tells TODAY.
This is far from the first shark sighting at New Smyrna Beach. Earlier this week, a shark bit a teenager on the foot while he surfed along the Atlantic Coast, NBC 6 reports . Luckily, the boy only suffered minor puncture wounds and was treated at the scene. Back in April, a 19-year-old boy was bitten by a shark in the same area.
Sharks may seem like the scariest scenario when you’re lounging beachfront with kids, but before you even think about letting them dive in to the water, make sure your kiddos know how to handle the waves with confidence. Hear what experts have to say on the best time to introduce baby to swimming lessons , as well as other precautions you can take to ensure your day trip is as safe as it can be. And don’t forget to read up on these nine surprising summer dangers so you can keep your kids out of harm’s way all season long.
