Final answer:
The first shark attack victim reported in newspapers was Brooke Watson, who was attacked at the age of fourteen in Havana, Cuba. His experience was later captured in the 1778 painting 'Watson and the Shark' by John Singleton Copley, which depicted the intense moment of the attack and his rescue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first recorded shark attack victim mentioned in newspapers was a fourteen-year-old English cabin boy named Brooke Watson. Watson was attacked by a shark in the waters off Havana, Cuba.
This incident was later immortalized in the painting Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley in 1778. Depicting the trauma and Gothic horror of the event, this work not only showcases a real-life attack but also shows the heroic rescue attempt by nearby sailors and reflects on the themes of salvation and rebirth, mirroring the resilience of the British Empire post the American Revolution.
Commissioned by Watson himself, the painting became one of Copley's celebrated works after his move to London, contributing to his election to the Royal Academy.
Notably, it elicited mixed reactions from viewers, especially considering Watson's alignment as a British Tory during tense political times.
Still, it remains a significant example of Copley's talent in portraying dramatic historical scenes and the human struggle against nature's forces.