The recent shark attack against surfing pro Mick Fanning has only served to fan the flame of our collective fear of sharks.

People respond to this fear in a variety of ways. Many simply choose to stay out of the water. But two people in North Carolina refused to let their fears stop them from enjoying the Atlantic waters.

What does one do when one wants to swim, but is afraid of sharks lurking in the waters? The answer is clear: One builds a personal shark cage to protect oneself.

This is how that worked out.

It's disappointing that the conversation between the lifeguard and the two innovators is too quiet and muffled to hear. From a purely practical standpoint, we can only hope the lifeguard told them that their cages were a terrible idea -- ineffective at best, and at worst a cause of death on their own.

Did these people really think that such a thin, simple cage would protect them from a shark? Do they not understand that their limbs hang out in the unprotected open, not to mention that the shark could probably do considerable damage going straight for the cage itself?

Have these people ever seen a real shark cage to know how it worked? And the most fundamental question: how did they expect to swim while bearing the weight of a metal cage?

As is often the case when people do stupid things, we have many questions and few answers. Just save yourself the trouble and do not try this at home.

More: Surfing Champ Mick Fanning Fights Off Shark Attack During Competition