‘I Felt Very Privileged,’ Says Swimmer Surrounded by 50 Sharks During a Training Dip

A swimmer felt very lucky after dozens of sharks circled him while he took a training dip in the waters of Poole in the Sandbanks Peninsula in the United Kingdom.

Swimmer Oly Rush took a nighttime swim as part of his training for a charity swim around the island of Portsmouth on August 22. The 36-year-old swimmer plans to break the current 26-hour record in 2016 by Scott Dawson.

The swimmer also aims to raise over £5,000 ($6,933.50) for charities whose mission is to clean up the coast of Britain and remove plastics.

It was not the first time Rush hit the headlines. Last summer, the swimmer swam the Jurassic Coast's length and raised more than £10,000 for a good cause.

He was also on the news in the previous year after building a hot tub for his fiancée with materials only amounting to £75.

Sharks Surround Swimmer Oly Rush While Training

When Oly Rush was 240 feet from the shore in Poole on August 22, something knocked off his leg.

"It was my first nighttime swim, so it was pretty unnerving when I suddenly came up against something in the water,' Rush said.

The swimmer felt something slippery, repeatedly nudging his legs in the pitch-black waters. Accompanied by his friend, Ashley McPherson, who lit a torch, the swimmer bravely dived underwater to investigate what was knocking off his legs.

To their surprise, a swarm of smoothhound sharks circled the swimmer as numerous glowing eyes stared at Oly Rush.

"When Ashley shone his torch there were all these eyes staring at us - we counted around 50 sharks," said Rush, adding that before swimming, they were laughing about sharks attacking them.

The swimmer then recorded the encounter on his phone, while the torch of his friend gave them light to see what was happening.

Rush noted that when he realized what happened, he just enjoyed the experience, adding that it was "fantastic" to see many sharks in the wild behaving "naturally" while in good conditions.

"I felt very privileged," he added.

The sharks surrounded the swimmer for at least 15 minutes as they nibbled at his hands and feet, which were not covered by his wetsuit. Rush noted that it did not hurt him despite being nibbled by the beast because the sharks have no teeth.

The swimmer noted that the sharks might have been attracted to the flashing light in his tow float that he swam with.

Smoothhound Sharks Circled the Swimmer

Oly Rush was lucky because the sharks surrounding him were known as smoothhound, known to eat shellfish and crustaceans. The said sharks can grow up to four feet in length. These species are also known to be commonly seen in the waters of the U.K.

Although smoothhound sharks did not harm Rush during his night swimming, some species of sharks are known to feed during dusk, dawn, or the night.

To avoid enticing and keeping people safe from the mouth of the beast, avoid excessive splashing and swimming while bleeding.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

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