ттJOSH CONQUERS SHARK FEAR BY SWIMMING WITH THEM

JOSH HARTNETT has conquered his fear of sharks by swimming with them.

The PEARL HARBOR star took the plunge with man-eaters while attending a pal's wedding in the Bahamas and admits the experience made him feel all-powerful.

He explains, "Me and my girlfriend at the time and he and his wife and all of our friends went with this guide, who took us over to this spot where they dropped a bucket of chum 20 feet down into the water.

"Suddenly, there's like 20, 30 sharks in the water. They're reef sharks - not huge, but big enough to hurt you real bad. "Once they're all at it (feeding), we get in the water, but you don't flap your arms or flail. You stay still, float, and you watch them feed.

"You could reach out and touch them, they were so close. It wasn't as terrifying as I thought, and I felt amazing afterward. I had this huge sense of inner power."

08/08/2004 13:58
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