Swimmers fled in terror after 18ft basking shark was spotted off a Cornish beach

Swimmers fled in fright when an 18ft SHARK appeared at a secluded Cornish beach.

This video shows the moment the sinister shape with telltale fin emerged just feet from the shore at Lantic Bay near Fowey, Cornwall.

Despite the panic, the monster was identified as a basking shark, a gentle giant not known for attacking humans.

The footage was filmed by Tom George, 24, who was onboard his boat with fiancée Cory Tibby, 21, on Sunday afternoon.

Tom said: “We saw this beauty of a basking shark – it was enormous, nearly as long as my boat which is 18ft.

“All the swimmers got out of the water pretty quickly.”

Tom, of Bodmin, Cornwall, added: “We were just out on the boat and saw this dark shadow. It just started moving and came up to the surface.

“We could see it was a massive basking shark swimming close to the shore.

“There were a few people swimming who got out pretty quickly but a few brave souls stayed around to have a look.

“We followed it in our boat.

“I had never seen one in the wild before. It was brilliant and really made my day.”

Basking sharks, the second biggest fish in the world, do not attack humans and are usually safe to be around.

Onlooker Hannah Handscombe, who was among a group of people on the beach, said: “It was an amazing sight.

“It was just lucky that Tom and his fiancée were on their boat at the time so could get the footage.

“The swimmers all ran out of the sea despite knowing it was probably harmless and everyone just stood and stared.”