Last week, a sunny beach day turned into a nightmare situation in Florida, when a 9-year-old girl was attacked by a shark in shallow waters. The bite nearly severed her hand entirely. Construction crew workers jumped in the water to help, before emergency crews arrived to save her life.
Leah Lendel, the young victim, was snorkeling at Boca Grande beach when the attack happened. She was in the water with her mother, father, and siblings. And now, after doctors performed emergency surgery to reattach her mangled hand, the brave young girl is speaking about the experience:
“So, I didn’t see anything,” Lendel said. “I was just snorkeling, and I went up to breathe. Then something hard bit me. It tried to take me away, but I looked at my hand and it was all in blood. I started screaming at my mom. Then, my dad was with me. He picked me up. Then we ran to the road.”
Following the attack, police bodycam footage was released from the incident. As EMTs went to work on stabilizing Lendel, officers continued to comment on how “brave” she was reacting to the terrible situation.
Lendel’s mother described in further detail what happened: “She was snorkeling in probably four feet deep water. She dipped down, like she always does, and she’s down by my feet. And then she flies out. I just saw her hand hanging, like a piece, there was blood everywhere. I just started screaming.”
Related: Shark Nearly Bites Off Young Girl’s Hand in Florida
After the incident, family members created a GoFundMe account to assist in Lendel’s medical expenses. A portion reads:
“While we are beyond grateful that Leah survived, the journey ahead will be long and full of physical and emotional healing. The Life Flight alone comes with an overwhelming medical bill, not to mention the ongoing care she will need: possible surgeries, physical therapy, counseling, and more.”
Here’s to a speedy recovery for this young, brave girl. Donate to the GoFundMe here.
Related: Forget Sharks; These Surf Spots Are Full of Crocodiles