Connecticut Family Vacation Ends With Rare Shark Attack and Amazing Homecoming

Shark attacks are the kind of thing most of us assume only happen in movies or on Discovery Channel during Shark Week, but one Connecticut man has a story he'll be telling for the rest of his life.

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John Schweizer of Niantic recently traveled to the Bahamas with his family to celebrate his 40th wedding anniversary. The snorkeling excursion was supposed to be the highlight of the trip. Instead, it turned into a real-life nightmare.

NBC CT says Schweizer was swimming with Caribbean reef sharks when, almost immediately after entering the water, one of the sharks bit his leg. His son noticed a large shadow in the water just before the attack, and moments later, Schweizer knew something had gone very wrong.

Thankfully, the crew acted quickly. Towels and tourniquets were used to control the bleeding before Schweizer was brought back to the cruise ship, where an onboard emergency physician treated him with dozens of stitches. NBC CT reports he was later taken to a Miami hospital but was able to head home after just one day because he was recovering well and was still able to walk. Here is John talking about the harrowing affair.

As scary as this story is, attacks from Caribbean reef sharks are incredibly rare. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have only been four documented attacks involving this species dating back to the 1500s.

The best part of this whole story came after Schweizer made it back to Connecticut.

His neighbors in Niantic decided that if life was going to hand him a shark attack story, they were going to make sure he had an unforgettable welcome home. They greeted him wearing shark costumes and even put on a little dance to celebrate his return.

After surviving a shark bite, I'd say that's exactly the kind of homecoming you deserve.