It was the last hour of the last day of Peter Smith's holiday in Tobago when he decided to take a dip in the sea. The conditions were perfect for a swim, the retired IT director recalls. I dived into the waves, swam out no more than 20 feet (6m), and stood waist-deep in the water.
He and his wife Joanna, from Hertfordshire, were away with friends, and the last thing on their minds was the risk of shark attacks - they are unheard of on this tiny Caribbean island.
Suddenly I felt a very heavy object hit my leg. I look down and there's a shark - and it's big, Peter says. You're talking maybe 10 foot (3m). That's when your brain works at 1,000 miles an hour.
He had been bitten by a bull shark, one of the most dangerous sharks in the world and notorious for hunting in shallow waters. In his first interview since the attack in April 2024, Peter shares about the terrifying experience and why he's still not afraid of sharks.
The situation got serious really fast, says the 66-year-old, who recognised the jaws clenching onto his leg as those of a bull shark. Fearing he would be dragged underwater, he decided to put up a fight. I start punching the shark. To be honest I don't know what I was trying to do, but I was hitting it. I can honestly say I've never hit anything as hard as I hit that shark.
After the shark bit his leg, it also attacked his left arm and stomach, resulting in serious injuries. His friends John and Moira, who were nearby, helped to fight the shark and raise the alarm.
Peter was taken to the only hospital on Tobago with deep lacerations to his stomach and a large bite on one arm. His wife Joanna describes the harrowing scene as horrific, not knowing whether her husband would survive.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to a hospital in Miami for specialized treatment and underwent numerous surgeries, including one where he was humorously told that a membrane used for healing was made from shark tissue.
Today, though he faces lifelong mobility issues and nerve damage, Peter expresses gratitude for his life and recovery, emphasizing that he refuses to be afraid of the ocean. Despite the shock of the encounter, he maintains a positive attitude, stating, What's the point in surviving a shark attack if you're going to live the rest of your life in fear?\
He and his wife Joanna, from Hertfordshire, were away with friends, and the last thing on their minds was the risk of shark attacks - they are unheard of on this tiny Caribbean island.
Suddenly I felt a very heavy object hit my leg. I look down and there's a shark - and it's big, Peter says. You're talking maybe 10 foot (3m). That's when your brain works at 1,000 miles an hour.
He had been bitten by a bull shark, one of the most dangerous sharks in the world and notorious for hunting in shallow waters. In his first interview since the attack in April 2024, Peter shares about the terrifying experience and why he's still not afraid of sharks.
The situation got serious really fast, says the 66-year-old, who recognised the jaws clenching onto his leg as those of a bull shark. Fearing he would be dragged underwater, he decided to put up a fight. I start punching the shark. To be honest I don't know what I was trying to do, but I was hitting it. I can honestly say I've never hit anything as hard as I hit that shark.
After the shark bit his leg, it also attacked his left arm and stomach, resulting in serious injuries. His friends John and Moira, who were nearby, helped to fight the shark and raise the alarm.
Peter was taken to the only hospital on Tobago with deep lacerations to his stomach and a large bite on one arm. His wife Joanna describes the harrowing scene as horrific, not knowing whether her husband would survive.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to a hospital in Miami for specialized treatment and underwent numerous surgeries, including one where he was humorously told that a membrane used for healing was made from shark tissue.
Today, though he faces lifelong mobility issues and nerve damage, Peter expresses gratitude for his life and recovery, emphasizing that he refuses to be afraid of the ocean. Despite the shock of the encounter, he maintains a positive attitude, stating, What's the point in surviving a shark attack if you're going to live the rest of your life in fear?\
