Boscombe 'sea creature': fisherman's kayak almost capsized

Lifeguards cleared the beach at around 1pm on Wednesday, August 4, following reports of ‘large marine life’, which led to them clearing the water.

Darron Tapper, 54, was fishing in the water near Boscombe at the time, when he says on his way back to shore something grabbed his lure; taking his equipment with it.

Mr Tapper told the Daily Echo: “I was pulling a lure back into shore and something grabbed that, I almost turned over in my kayak.

“I spun around and saw a big shadow. When I got back on the beach the jet ski was being launched and the lifeguards were telling everybody to get out of the water.”

Mr Tapper, who lives in Pokesdown and often fishes recreationally in the sea, said he was sure it was not a fish he would expect to catch in the area having already caught nine bass earlier in the day.

He said: “I know what fish are, it was something big.

“As a fisherman I’ve never heard of a shark in these waters so that was the last thing on my mind.”

The 54-year-old had a small hole in his kayak and had he known what might have greeted him he says he wouldn’t have “been chancing”. He added that he had a “lucky escape.”

He said: “If you saw how it took my rod and reel I didn’t stand a chance (if the kayak had gone over). God knows what would have happened, I looked like a seal in my wetsuit.”

“It is very possible (it was a shark) I’m speculating that, I don’t know what else would have the power.”

“In 13 years I have never ever experienced that, it is a bit of a thrill to think I escaped the clutches.”

The RNLI confirmed to the Echo that a ‘large marine animal’ was spotted in the waters off Boscombe beach around 1pm that day.

Beachgoers were asked by lifeguards to clear the water for a brief time while reports of the sighting were investigated.

There was no official confirmation of what the sea creature was but swimmers were advised to speak to lifeguards before returning to the water.