BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SHARRRRRRRK! A scream many of us thought would only be heard while watching a movie, but on Sunday August 29 it was a reality for many families while on a picnic at Cockle Shell Beach located at the South East Peninsular.
According to an eyewitness, Gilbert Williams, in an exclusive interview with SKNVibes; on Sunday sometime after 4:00p.m while enjoying a day at the beach with family members, the quiet of the afternoon was broken with frantic shouts, “Look there, look there” which attracted the attention the of a number of persons all of whom were gazing and pointing in the same direction at what appeared to be a school of stingrays in the water.
Williams said upon looking a further distance away onlookers observed a shark in the water throwing the stingrays as if it was attempting to drown them.
“Some guys were out in the water on two tubes, they jumped off the tubes and swam to shore” the eyewitness added.
On the beach, at the time were a number of families picnicking according to the witness however; many persons he said were eating and just sitting around when they heard the shouts erupted.
Williams went on to say that after the commotion there was suddenly another shout, warning, “Get out the water, get out the water” to which beach goers responded immediately in a panic running to the safety of the shore.
“People began to point again but this time it was at the stingrays that had made their way to the shoreline passing one behind the other while people stood around and threw stuff at them and poked them with sticks.” He explained with much excitement.
Williams added that the stingrays seemed afraid to return to the dark blue portion of the water because the shark was still circling the area as if it was waiting for them to return.
He said after watching for several hours darkness began to cover the beach and many persons left.
Although no one was hurt in the process many persons expressed how frightened they were when considering that an enjoyable day of fun in the sun could have suddenly turned into a day of tragedy.
