It started as an absolute mystery. 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 compared the scenes on Paignton Beach to ‘a scene from Jaws’.

People were covered in blood and panic spread rapidly. Emergency services were called and police patrolled the seafront from Preston to Goodrington, instructing people to leave the water, reports Devon Live.

Thirty individuals were so severely injured that they needed 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 transformed into something out of a horror film.

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

The tranquillity of the seaside was abruptly shattered when authorities sprang into action due to an unforeseen menace. The beach quickly became a hive of emergency activity as areas were cordoned off, and holidaymakers herded from the sea after being deemed unsafe by police and beach attendants.

A full-scale emergency was declared in Torbay, with coastguards and medics rushing to the scene to aid those harmed. What set off this unexpected turmoil was later found to be sharp razor fish shells, exposed by an exceptionally low tide which caused numerous swimmers’ feet to be sliced open.

As the chaos unfolded at the popular beach destination, the situation intensified dramatically but was thankfully reined in once the peril was identified.

Former MP Adrian Sanders, who witnessed the commotion erupt, described the event: “It was like a scene from Jaws as the police cleared the sea of people.”

The ordeal became a hot topic not just locally but across the country. Speaking to the Independent, Brian Pearce, who managed the beach for the council at that time, reflected on the harrowing incident revealing that many came out of the water bearing cuts to their feet.

Pearce shared his experience: “The majority had small cuts, but a few had bad ones which were treated in hospital. I have never seen anything like it. I hope I do not see it again.”

Chaos erupted at Paignton Green as ambulances weaved through swarming crowds amidst an unfolding crisis, prompting Torbay Hospital to put its casualty department on high alert. Injury reports also flooded in from Preston Beach and even further afield as the emergency gripped Broadsands and Hollicombe.

The usual merriment of karaoke from a seafront pub was drowned out by the constant blare of ambulance sirens as the area became the epicentre of intense emergency activity. New ambulances dashed to the scene with fresh stores of dressings and saline for wound care, while Devon Air Ambulance made a show-stopping landing among the festivities, briefly interrupting a regatta rounders match to offload crucial medical supplies.

Ambulance Group Station Officer Chris Coles, one of the initial responders, recognised the scale of the catastrophe instantly, remarking, “We knew straight away we were dealing with multiple casualties.”

The situation called for reinforcement from Red Cross volunteers involved in nearby exhibitions at Brixham and colleagues from St John Ambulance who swiftly arrived to assist.

In a dramatic changeover, what was mere minutes earlier a space bustling with families enjoying picnics on Paignton Green, became cordoned off by police. The serene spot transformed into a makeshift outdoor triage centre, where amid the urgent treatment efforts, a weary paramedic, having just attended to an injured person, looked up firmly calling for the next patient: “Next!”.

Police chief Inspector Peter Dale quickly assessed the troublesome situation at the beach, instructing officers to patrol near the waterline and caution bathers away from the perilous razor fish beds.

Paignton’s own eleven-year-old Lana McAreavey fell foul of one of the sharp shells, needing medical attention for her foot injury. She expressed her discomfort, saying, “It does hurt a bit, and I can’t put my shoe on.”

A holidaymaker recounting their painful experience stated: “I was just walking through the shallow water when I felt something with my foot. It was so sharp that I didn’t realise I was cut until I looked down and saw the blood.”

Sarah Richards, a ten year old from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, found herself in need of three stitches after a beach stroll went awry. Sarah recounted, “I was walking with my mum and I trod on something. Then I started screaming.”

Another young casualty, Charlotte Mills, 10 years old and in the company of her father Tim Brown, also required two stitches for a laceration to her foot. Charlotte described the incident: “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.”

Torbay Hospital staff dealt with an exceptionally busy period, treating upwards of two hours’ worth of casualties. A designated area of AandE was set aside to cope with the thirty patients, mostly children, who were injured by the unexpected menace.

A hospital spokesperson reflected on the event, stating: “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 swiftly erected warning signs on the beaches, handed out hundreds of leaflets and issued loudhailer warnings. Meanwhile, local traders quickly ran out of stock for flip-flops and plastic ‘jelly’ shoes.