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A shark jumped into a boat, terrifying the four children and two fishermen aboard, near Waiheke Island last week.
The 1.5m thresher shark leaped into the boat of Tony and Cindy Page, who were fishing and diving in their powerboat with their children. Friends Brent and Linda Glover had taken their boat and children along for the day as well.
While the mothers were in the water exploring fish life, the men and children were on board the Pages' boat fishing.
"My line zipped away and next thing Tony was yelling a couple of swear words," Brent said. "I had hooked the shark and it took off under the boat. It obviously thrashed its tail to get rid of the hook in its mouth. In doing that it jumped up over Tony's lap and landed in the boat."
The four children aged between two and seven years old, "screamed their lungs out" as the shark thrashed about violently near Brent's daughter Abbey, 5.
Tony Page had one leg in the water when the shark made its unexpected entrance.
"I was in a daze. I thought one of the kids was playing on my lap but when I looked down there was a fin on it. I yelled 's***'. It gave me one hell of a fright. Then all the kids started going off."
Tony and Brent put the shark out of its misery. Ten minutes later the women emerged from the water, oblivious to the drama.
