PENSACOLA, Fla. (NewsNation Now) — How would you react if you saw sharks circling your inflatable raft?
That became the terrifying reality for a group of women relaxing in Pensacola, Fla. when a group of hammer head sharks surrounded them.
NewsNation spoke to two of the women filmed being surrounded by the sharks. They said there were about five of them circling their raft.
“Well, initially, I was a little bit amazed and cannot believe that that was happening. We had two of the sharks swim underneath our raft. And it was just really like amazement, like, is this really happening,” said Casey Thompson.
Thompson had a broken foot and stayed put on the raft with her friend Qyuston Eubanks until the sharks fully passed.
Eubanks recalled, “She made the joke, ‘Well, these sharks are coming to get me you’re gonna throw me in’ And Lacey and I were like, ‘No, we will protect you. We’re just gonna stay calm, and it’s gonna be okay.'”
When asked what their advice to others encountering sharks that close, Thompson emphasized the importance of staying calm.
“If you don’t mess with the sharks. I mean, obviously, we were not going to be in their way. We weren’t going to mess with them. And they were not going to mess with us. So just stay calm and let them pass. Especially hammerheads. They’re not known to attack humans. So we just let them be,” said Thompson.
Both women said they will most likely head back to the water again soon and usually visit frequently.