Frankie was trailing blood through the water.. I was terrified the shark would come back for another bite
Rescue workers tell how they risked their own lives to help save a stricken mum and her brave husband from 8ft, razor-toothed creature
THE incredible tale of how Dean Gonsalves punched a huge shark to stop it killing his wife prompted an avalanche of tributes to his amazing act of courage.
But there was more than one hero that day in the South Atlantic waters off Ascension Island.
While Dean battled with the 8ft Galapagos shark that had bitten mum-of-two Frankie’s leg, Paul and Craig Scipio made sure the story had a happy ending – by charging into the water and dragging the couple 20 metres to the safety of the shore.
It was bravery that could have cost them their lives as they lost sight of the huge shark in the blood-red water.
The government of St Helena, a British Overseas Territory which includes Ascension Island, thanked Paul, 47, and his nephew Craig, 31, in an official statement warning swimmers about other potential attacks.
Paul said: “We’ve never been so scared in our lives but I don’t know how we would have lived with ourselves if we hadn’t done something to help.
“We could see the shark tail-swishing from side to side between Dean and Frankie. It was much higher above the water than their heads and much bigger. As soon as we saw it, we knew they were in big trouble.”
Dean and Frankie – both 40 and parents to Katie, 11, and Louis, seven — are originally from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, but now live on St Helena, where Frankie is a social worker and Dean fits house alarms.
They were snorkelling at English Bay after their cruise ship docked for a onenight stop over on Ascension Island.
Galapagos sharks are frequent visitors to the coastline but there had never been an attack on a human at the bay before the creature bit into Frankie’s ankle, severing the Achilles tendon.
Paul and Craig initially thought Frankie was messing around when they heard her shrieks. But then they saw the shark’s tail, and charged into the water.
Craig said: “The water was so clear I looked down and I could see her foot was shredded. She was trailing blood through the water. I was terrified the shark was going to pick up the scent and come back any second for another bite.”
Frankie was screaming for the pair to help Dean, who was further out at sea trying to keep the shark at bay. He had punched it three times but was starting to tire and it had vanished.
Craig grabbed Frankie to drag her to shore, while Paul swam on to rescue Dean. As Craig and Frankie swam to safety, they were pursued by a swarm of hungry blackfish. Craig said: “I had Frankie under one arm and I was trying to swim as fast as I could. I kept looking over my shoulder.
“I could see these blackfish darting back and forwards, following the trail of blood. I was worried they would start attacking, or worse still, that there were so many of them we wouldn’t see that shark coming.
“It was such a relief when my feet finally felt the floor – I had real doubts whether we
would make it.” Dean was so exhausted by the time Paul reached him that shock had started to set in. He had ripped off his snorkel and was floating on his back. Paul said: “My first thought was, ‘Oh God, he’s had a heart attack’.”
He grabbed Dean’s arm and started pulling him towards the beach.
He added: “That was the worst part. When we dived into the water, we didn’t have time to think, we were acting on adrenaline. Now I had time to think.
“I knew the shark was out there somewhere but I didn’t know how near. I didn’t know if it was below us or to the side. My senses went into overdrive, I just kept thinking, ‘I hope I don’t feel anything brush against my legs’.”
Eventually, they reached the shore where Craig, who is deputy head of the sea rescue service on the neighbouring island of St Helena, was giving first aid to Frankie with the help of holidaymaker Ian Prickett.
Paul recalled: “Craig had given Ian his T-shirt to wrap Frankie’s ankle to put pressure on the wounds and minimise further lost of blood. Frankie’s children were traumatised, crying hysterically, plus she was crying out in a lot of pain.
“Ian kept Frankie’s leg elevated and pressure on the wounds, while Craig sat with Frankie reassuring her that everything was going to be OK.”
Two nurses arrived, bandaged Frankie’s foot and put in a drip, before an ambulance took her to hospital. RAF servicemen from the nearby military base arrived to give blood while doctors worked to save Frankie’s foot.
Craig said: “I don’t know what would have happened to Frankie if we hadn’t gone into the water. Her Achilles was completely torn, so there was no way she could swim to the beach and Dean was so exhausted I think he’d have struggled to get her back before the shark came back.”
That night, the island’s chief of police called round to thank Paul and Craig.
Frankie needed urgent surgery. She then spent a few days recovering and waiting for a medevac flight to the UK. Paul and Craig visited her the day after her op. Paul said: “She was really pleased to see us. She smiled at us and said, ‘Here are my heroes’. “Craig and I realise how close we might have come to being attacked – we’re still dealing with that. It happened so quick that we just acted on instinct. “We can only imagine the trauma that Frankie and Dean and the children felt and are still feeling.”