WATCH: US Coast Guard opens fire on 8ft SHARK to protect crew members, swimmers scramble to safety

More than 30 US Coast Guard personnel were enjoying a quick swim in “perfect weather” when one of the most dreaded messages a swimmer can hear blared over their ship’s loudspeaker: “Shark in the water!”

Dozens of crew members from the USCGC ‘Kimball,’ accompanied by an inflatable unicorn, were caught unawares by the terrifying announcement that a two-meter-long shark was attempting to join their lunchtime swim on Tuesday. 

Quick-thinking Maritime Enforcement Specialist 1st Class Samuel Cintron opened fire on the shark from the deck of the ‘Kimball’ with several shots across the beast’s bow to buy his shipmates time to flee to safety as heart-wrenching video shows.

He dissuaded the shark momentarily but it persisted, forcing crew members to scramble aboard a small boat nearby, up the rear ladders of the ‘Kimball’ and through open hatches. 

Miraculously, all crew members made it back on board safely and no sharks were harmed in the incident either. 

“We even saved the inflatable unicorn,” USCGC said. 

Having reviewed the footage, the USCGC believes it was a Long-Fin Mako or Pelagic Thresher shark, which they said was “not something to mess with.” The shark reportedly rejoined his gang of smaller sharks and made off into the distance. 

“We don’t think the shark was injured… It later joined a few smaller buddies that showed up and they swam off together,” the crew added.

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