A terrifying video shows the moment a 6-year-old girl playing in the waters of Hawaii escapes from an approaching shark.
Anela Rezentes was playing in the shallow waters in Kalama Beach in Kailua, Oahu on Sunday.
Her mother says she was taking video of Anela playing in the waves when her daughter started darting out of the water.
“My soul left my body,” recounted the young Kailua-native to KHON2 News, “I saw a shark. I didn’t notice he was behind my back. So I really wanted to run out. I was really scared.”
Apparently, the girl spotted the shark’s fin inches away from her and quickly made a beeline to the shore.
Her mother, Sheri Gouveia, adds, “By the time she came out of the water, she was hysterical. I was like oh my gosh. So I ran up, but I was looking for it but couldn’t see it. I didn’t realize it was actually a shark. That’s what shocked me.”
Per KHON2:
Experts say based on the video it appears this was a Blacktip shark. This species feeds on fish and they routinely look for food in shallow waters. It’s likely that this shark was chasing fish in the whitewash and not targeting the young girl. Shark experts add that the best thing to do in this situation is to get out of the water and give the shark its space.
Fortunately, she was not hurt.
Mobile users see video here.