Florida dad taking drone pics at beach spots shark heading for his kids
Dan Watson was snapping photos with his device when he saw a 'shadow moving through the water'
Dan Watson was taking pictures of his family at the beach when he spotted a shark-shaped shadow moving toward his children.
The Florida photographer was playing with his camera drone at New Smyrna Beach on June 22, snapping aerial shots of him, his wife and their three kids splashing in the water.
"I actually only had the drone up for about 30 seconds and then all of a sudden I started noticing that shadow moving through the water," Watson told As It Happens guest host Susan Bonner.
"It was able to take one image and then I started running off to the beach and yelling at them to get out and yelling 'Shark!'"
'Wow, that's an actual shark'
He and his wife Sally Watson were able to quickly herd their two sons, aged five and six, and their nine-year-old daughter out of the water as the shadow rapidly moved closer.
As they were running, the drone snapped a second shot.
"That second photo kind of was the moment of impulse, right there," Watson said.
"You can see them running, you can see the sand scattering everywhere from their movement and then you can see the shark make that turn and start heading back out into the water."
Once his family was safely ashore, Watson says he started to doubt what he'd seen.
"I hadn't really seen a picture of it yet. So I'm thinking, yeah, it was probably just a shadow, seaweed or something moving through the water," he said.
Then he got home, downloaded the images, and took a good, close look.
"I was like, 'Wow, that's an actual shark,'" he said.
'We'll be working on our sandcastle skills next time'
He estimates it was between six and eight feet long — bigger than his kids.
"It was one of those moments where you're really glad that your kids listen to you right away," he said. "I mean, my youngest is only five years old and thankfully they all got the sense of urgency and started running away really quickly."
The following weekend, a shark bit a teenager on the foot on the same beach, reports The Associated Press.
Watson's family is recovering from the fright, he said. His sons are mostly curious about the creature, he said, while his daughter, the eldest, is "a bit more nervous."
But the Floridians won't let the incident keep them from the beach forever, he said.
"We'll be working on our sandcastle skills next time we go back probably," Watson said.
Written by Sheena Goodyear. Produced by Morgan Passi.