A man accused of swimming naked with sharks at Ripley’s Aquarium is expected to plead guilty to mischief in the incident next month.
David Weaver, of Nelson, B.C., was arrested in October just days after videos emerged showing a naked man swimming in a shark tank at the aquarium located in downtown Toronto on Oct. 12.
Police allege that the accused had attended a show at Medieval Times earlier in the night but was forced to leave the venue by security. Investigators said they believe the suspect then randomly assaulted a 34-year-old man, who was having a cigarette outside of the building before heading to the aquarium.
At the aquarium, police allege the suspect stripped naked, hopped over a security barrier and jumped into the shark tank.
The swimmer could be seen by stunned patrons who watched the incident unfold from a glass observation area on the lower level of the aquarium.
Security eventually convinced the man to get out of the tank and the swimmer fled before police arrived on scene.
Weaver’s trial date has been set for Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 in the case.
He was also charged with assault and mischief in the earlier incident, which is now being dealt with separately by the court and will face trial in late October.
