spear fishing more than two miles off the Island.

One man suffered cramp as he battled to swim back to his boat.

He was followed by two sharks made frenzied by blood from a speared fish.

But he managed to haul himself on to some rocks, keeping the sharks at bay with his spear.

As his pals screamed in terror from their boats, five other sharks targeted them.

The grey reef sharks -- up to seven feet long -- slowly circled one of the vessels, before swimming off.

Yesterday 24-year-old Mr. Michael Jones, of Smith's Avenue, Warwick, and his neighbour Mr. Robert Rogers recalled their ordeal.

Said Mr. Jones: "The sharks seemed really frenzied. They were obviously attracted by the blood from the fish.'' Mr. Rogers, 23, exclaimed: "It was terrifying. I was really shaking. You see this kind of thing in the movies, but never expect to experience it yourself.'' The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon about two and a half miles off Scaur Hill, Somerset.

Mr. Jones, his wife Joanna, and their friend Mr. Rogers had rented a boat to go spear fishing.

Three of Mr. Roger's friends also rented a boat to accompany them.

The boats were anchored by the reef, and Mr. Jones and Mr. Rogers put on snorkel gear and dived into the water.

"I had caught a parrot fish and also managed to spear a hog fish but it got away and went to the bottom,'' said Mr. Jones yesterday.

"I motioned to Robert to go down and look for it. I then saw this shark come up behind him.

"I screamed out to him to look behind. Even though we were underwater he could hear me shouting.

"I then came up to the surface and headed as quickly as possible to the boat, which was about 150 feet away.

"After I got on board I saw five sharks underneath the boat. My wife was screaming, and women on the other boat were doing so as well.'' Meanwhile, Mr. Rogers, after coming face to face with the shark from about ten feet, tried to follow his friend.

"I suddenly got cramp, however, and managed to get on to a shoal and stand knee-deep in water on the rocks.

"Two of the sharks came at me, they kept circling and then dashing towards me.

"I was shaking, but managed to ward them off with my spear. I was screaming to the others to pull up the anchor and come and get me.

"They finally pulled up alongside and I got on the boat.'' Mr. Jones, an assistant engineer with Cablevision, said he and his friend regularly go spear fishing.

"We've never, however, gone as far out to sea. We usually only go about a mile, and I think we will keep to that distance in future,'' he said.

"It's the first time I've seen any sharks while diving. I was really shaken up.''