Connecticut man recounts shark bite during Bahamas snorkeling trip

John Schweizer was snorkeling in the western Bahamas when a probable Caribbean reef shark bit his left shin and pulled him underwater. The 69-year-old from Niantic, Connecticut, was on a family trip marking his 40th wedding anniversary, and the wound required 24 stitches.

Schweizer said the attack happened fast and "pulled me under." He said the shark was about seven feet long, and he later described the bite as feeling like a huge dog bite. He has said he was recovering after the encounter.

The incident unfolded in a country that has made sharks part of its marine policy, not an afterthought. The Bahamas created the Atlantic’s first shark sanctuary in 2011, and conservation material for the country says more than 40 shark species live in its 630,000 square kilometers of waters. That protection has helped preserve shark populations, but it also means reef sharks remain part of the environment in popular snorkeling areas.

For U.S. travelers, the larger lesson is that tropical water is not risk-free just because it is marketed as calm or clear. The U.S. travel advisory for the Bahamas tells Americans new to snorkeling to understand the risks and stay alert for sharks, and it warns that swimmers and snorkelers have died. Schweizer’s injury was not fatal, but the bite was serious enough to leave him with stitches after a split-second encounter in water many visitors assume is safe.