She probably only survived thanks to a brave relative…
A Florida teenager, 17, was hospitalized in critical condition on Friday after a shark ripped off part of her leg.
The young woman was in about 5 feet of water on popular Keaton Beach, Taylor County, Fla., around 3 p.m. Thursday when the shark suddenly attacked.
“A family member jumped into the water and hit the shark until the child was free,” local police said on Facebook. He probably saved the teenager’s life.
Rescue workers treated the seriously injured 17-year-old on the beach before she was flown to a hospital in Tallahassee, about 120 kilometers away.
She underwent surgery around 6 p.m. and lost part of her leg, authorities said. But she has a good chance of survival.
Officials said the teenager was snorkeling with members of her family when the shark attacked.
It’s unclear what species of shark it is, but witnesses described it as about ten feet long.
According to a report released in January, shark attacks have increased globally in 2021 after declining for three straight years.
The US again reported the most attacks. Florida has accounted for almost 40 percent of global attacks.