Divers have been left terrified to see a “shark” while swimming – before learning the hilarious truth.

Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland is a popular spot to take a dip, but if you’re planning on taking to its waters, you might want to prepare yourself for what lurks beneath the surface. A petrifying statue of a great white shark has left the uninitiated believing they were about to become a fearsome beast’s lunch.

The terrifying lookalike has a toothy grin and fins poised as if ready to strike, LadBible reports. Its support structure even gives the impression the shark is floating at the bottom of the lake in Romandy.

What a terrifying sight (Image: Reddit)

Footage of the statue taken by swimmers has left social media users shocked. One said: “Good thing the water is so murky so nobody can see me s**t my pants.”

Another added: “Now imagine being the first dude that came across this,” while a third chimed in: “This picture makes me feel sick to my stomach, like, visceral fear inside me is telling me to run as far as I can.”

Fortunately, Bruce the shark isn’t real (Jaws, 1975) (Image: Getty Images)

It is thought the statue, playfully nicknamed Bruce by fans, was dumped there by pranksters in a bid to scare swimmers, and other social media users were more curious to discuss how he got there. “I can’t tell if I want to shake the hand of whoever made it or run away from them.”

Another added: “What sick f**k thought this was a good idea?!