Brook Watson, The Mayor Of London Who Survived A Shark Attack
Wikimedia CommonsJohn Singleton Copley’s painting Watson and The Shark.
Born on February 7, 1735, Brook Watson was a British merchant and Lord Mayor of London from 1796 to 1797. He was also one of the first recorded shark attack victims in history — and he survived.
In 1749, a 14-year-old Watson was swimming alone off the coast of Havana, Cuba when a shark charged at him. The shark then made a second pass at the boy before rescuers finally came to help.
The shark bit off flesh from below the calf of Watson’s right leg, and by the second attack, completely bit off his right foot at the ankle. While rescuers were able to pull him out of the water before the shark could come back for more, the resulting injuries meant Watson’s right leg would have to be amputated from the knee down.
Wikimedia CommonsWatson’s right leg had to be amputated after the attack.
Watson was sent to a Cuban hospital to recover, and three months later, he was ok. He then moved to Boston before finally settling down back in England. He served as a member of Parliament for nine years, and then eventually became Mayor of London in 1796.
In 1774, artist John Singleton Copley was commissioned by Watson to create a painting of the man’s shark attack. The painting, Watson and the Shark, depicts Watson dramatically being saved from the attack near Havana’s harbor.
