Erin Doogan travelled to South Africa to raise money for charity.

The 23-year-old told the Reporter: “It was honestly amazing, I’ve never done anything like that, but I would definitely do it again.” “I was having such a good time on holiday, I never gave it much thought. It all happened so quickly, one minute I was on the boat and the next I was in the cage in the water and the sharks were swimming towards me.” Erin’s dad also took part in the shark dive after seeing Erin taking the plunge.

She added: “My dad decided to do it because it was all run so professionally. They give you this big talk beforehand, make you watch videos and then fit you for your scuba gear. The cage is quite big as well, it’s not like Jaws where it’s just one person. I was in with six other people.” “They throw chum in the water to lure the sharks in, and then you start seeing the fins coming towards you. I can’t hold my breath for very long, so I only saw them face to face for a few seconds, but it was definitely creepy. The sharks were quite calm, I expected them to be bashing the cage, but they weren’t, seeing them up close was pretty terrifying though.” “I posted the video on YouTube so everyone can see how close we were to the sharks. When I watch the video back, I’m like: ‘What was I thinking?’” Carer Erin has so far raised £726 for Alzeimhers Scotland West Dunbartonshire where she works, and has said the support she’s received has been so encouraging she’s looking into doing it again. “I’d definitely like to do it again. It was such an amazing experience. Everyone was so keen to hear about it when I came home. I’m happy with the money raised, and I’d like to see it go to a trip for the members or some new facilities for the centre.” However good the experience, she says seeing herself in a wetsuit is an experience she can live without. “Honestly, the worst part about it was seeing myself in the scuba gear, I looked like an egg.” Erin’s justgiving page is still open and can be found at: http://justgiving.com/erindoogan. The video of Erin’s sharkdive is on her YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/beautycreep.