On 22/7, 65-year-old Tamara Ennis recounted the terrifying experience of witnessing her friend's shark attack on the American television channel A&E. In August 1981, 21-year-old Tamara was working as a waitress at Ormond Beach, Florida.
She and two friends, Christy Wapniarski and Randy Cohen, went out to sea on Daniel Perrin's catamaran. About 1.6 km from shore, dark clouds suddenly gathered, and a storm capsized the boat. They quickly climbed onto part of the hull, aware of the area's reputation for sharks.
Without food or water, they clung to the wreckage for six hours. As dawn broke, Tamara suggested they start swimming before the sun fully rose, fearing disorientation. "I thought I was going to die, but I had to try," she said, noting Christy was the weakest swimmer. All four entered the water, unaware of the impending tragedy.
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Tamara on television in July. Photo: A&E |
Tamara on television in July. Photo: A&E
An hour later, Tamara heard Christy scream and assumed she was drowning. However, she then saw a shark circling Christy. Tamara described Christy thrashing, briefly surfacing, and then disappearing beneath the waves, reminiscent of a scene from the movie Jaws.
Her last glimpse of Christy was face down in the water, pale and seemingly bloodless. Knowing she couldn't help, Tamara continued swimming. Soon after, she brushed against a gray shark. Remembering her friend's fate, she resolved to escape and swam away from the area.
After five hours, Tamara lost sight of Randy and Daniel. She experienced hallucinations, exhaustion, and severe sunburn. Luckily, after seven hours, she neared the shore and was rescued by a lifeguard.
"I just remember thinking about my family and my future to keep myself going," she said.
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A great white shark. Photo: NatGeo |
A great white shark. Photo: NatGeo
Both Randy and Daniel survived, but the body of 19-year-old Christy was never recovered. After the incident, Tamara worked on ships in the Bahamas to cope with the trauma. To this day, she avoids swimming in dark water due to the lingering fear.
Ormond Beach is located in Volusia County, Florida, known as the "shark attack capital of the world." According to the International Shark Attack File, the area has recorded 351 unprovoked shark attacks since 1882, the highest in the state. These attacks often occur at crowded beaches like Ormond and New Smyrna.
Hoai Anh (According to Daily Star)
