Devon Beach Incident Resembling 'Jaws' Leaves Nearly 1,000 Injured

Twenty-seven years ago, a day at the beach was anything but idyllic. It's referred to as 'The Day the Sea Turned Red in Devon'. And it's no hyperbole.

It began as an absolute enigma. One moment everything was perfectly normal on this sunny - Sunday, August 10, 1998. Within a few hours, between 800 and 1,000 people were injured and eyewitnesses likened the scenes on Paignton Beach to 'a scene from Jaws'.

People were covered in blood and widespread panic ensued. Emergency services were summoned and police patrolled the seafront from Preston to Goodrington, instructing people to exit the water. Thirty individuals were so severely injured that they required transport to Torbay Hospital.

The beach was filled with the sounds of laughter, waves and seagulls – but within minutes, holidaymakers and locals began fleeing the beach in terror, with blood pouring from their feet. The Paignton Regatta was in full swing and the seafront was bustling - and then the day morphed into something resembling a horror film.

At around 1pm, the calm of a sunny day was shattered as first aiders on Paignton Green dealt with an influx of beachgoers reporting lacerations from something sharp in the sea. As more and more people waded into the warm shallows during an exceptional low tide, the number of injuries surged.

Authorities quickly responded to the unfolding chaos; police, beach attendants, and emergency services cordoned off the area, deeming it hazardous and ushering swimmers out of the water. The drama escalated as ambulances lined the promenade and the Devon Air Ambulance touched down amidst crowds on the green.

A 'total emergency' was declared by Torbay Council as coastguards, paramedics, and first responders swiftly attended to those injured. It was eventually discovered that the cause of the panic was hidden razor fish shells in the sand, which had caused foot lacerations to many due to the unusually low tide.

Adrian Sanders, Torbay's MP at the time, who experienced the onset of alarm first-hand, commented: 'It was like a scene from Jaws as the police cleared the sea of people.'

The events of that day were not only the talk of the town but also struck a chord nationally. Recounting the day's events to the Independent, Brian Pearce, who was the beach manager for the council at that period, explained how hundreds emerged from the waters with cuts on their feet.

As the event unfolded, ambulances navigated through the dense crowds gathered at Paignton Green, while Torbay Hospital's casualty department was put on high alert. Reports of injuries came in from Preston Beach as well, and even from the nearby spots of Broadsands and Hollicombe.

The sound of ambulance sirens filled the air, overwhelming the boisterous karaoke belting out from a seafront pub, putting emergency services into overdrive. New ambulances arrived to supply additional dressings and saline for wound cleaning, and Devon Air Ambulance made a dramatic entrance onto the green, disrupting a regatta rounders game to deliver more supplies.

One of the first on the scene, Ambulance group station officer Chris Coles realised immediately the gravity of the situation, stating: 'We knew straight away we were dealing with multiple casualties.'

Additional help was called from Red Cross volunteers engaged in a display at Brixham and counterparts from St John Ambulance.

In a stark turn of events, an area in the middle of Paignton Green that only moments before had families enjoying picnics was sealed off by police and turned into a makeshift outdoor treatment centre. Amidst care for the afflicted, a paramedic, having tended to a patient, looked up to call for the next: 'Next!'

Police chief Inspector Peter Dale assessed the situation and instructed his officers to patrol the beach near the waterline, urging bathers to leave the water and guiding them away from the dangerous razor fish beds.

Eleven-year-old Lana McAreavey from Princes Street in Paignton suffered a foot injury after stepping on one of the shells and required treatment from a paramedic. She commented: 'It does hurt a bit, and I can't put my shoe on.'

An unnamed holidaymaker recounted the incident: 'I was just walking through the shallow water when I felt something with my foot. It was so sharp that I didn't realize I was cut until I looked down and saw the blood.'

Ten-year-old Sarah Richards from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, needed three stitches for her injury. Sarah said: 'I was walking with my mum and I trod on something. Then I started screaming.'

Charlotte Mills, aged 10, accompanied by her father Tim Brown, was another victim who ended up with two stitches in a cut foot. Charlotte's words were: 'I was in the water and something cut my foot. I thought it was a crab at first. Then I saw a massive cut on my foot and my friend gave me a piggyback up the beach.'

The staff at Torbay Hospital had a busy day as they treated over two hours' worth of casualties. In total, thirty patients, mostly children, were attended to, and part of A&E was allocated specifically for this sudden influx.

Reflecting on the event, a hospital spokesperson stated: 'I have never seen anything like it before and people who have lived here for years have never heard of this kind of thing happening.'

Torbay Council promptly put up warning signs on the beaches, distributed hundreds of leaflets and issued loudhailer warnings. Meanwhile, local traders quickly ran out of stock for flip-flops and plastic 'jelly' shoes.