In the American state of Georgia, a woman narrowly avoided ending up in the jaws of a great white shark after attempting to pet the predator from the side of a boat. As soon as she reached out, the shark thrashed violently in the water and lunged toward her. The dangerous moment was captured on video, which was later published by FOX Weather.
The incident took place near Tybee Island during an expedition organized by the non-profit group Knot Lucky Fishing. Participants in the program assist scientists in catching and tagging great white sharks to track their movements across the ocean.
One of the program participants, a woman named Jen, decided to touch the captured predator. Footage shows her leaning over the side of the boat and placing her hand on the shark’s body. Suddenly, the animal began to struggle and turned sharply toward her.
Jimmy Armel, the founder of the organization, insisted that the woman was never in any real danger. He explained that the crew maintained control over the shark at all times and were prepared to react to its movements. No one was harmed during the incident.
Knot Lucky Fishing organizes free fishing expeditions for U.S. veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families. At the same time, participants help researchers collect data on the migration patterns of these marine predators. Each shark that is tagged is given the name of a fallen service member.
According to Armel, the organization has already tagged ten great white sharks. However, they decided to release the shark that nearly bit the participant without attaching a tag, opting to forgo any further handling for the safety of both the people and the animal itself.
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