Girl's hand ‘mostly torn off' in terrifying shark attack
A mother has recalled the horror she experienced in the moments after her young daughter was attacked by a shark.
Nine-year-old Leah Lendel was bitten as she snorkelled off Boca Grande, Florida, on Wednesday, leaving her with severe injuries.
Lendel's family told NBC affiliate WBBH the girl went underwater and as she came up, she started screaming.
Her mother, Nadia, who was about 1.5 metres away with her two toddlers, said she saw that Leah's hand was covered in blood..
When Nadia looked over at her daughter, the family said she saw her daughter's right hand covered 'up to the wrist, all in blood and mostly torn off'.
Nadia proceeded to scream for help as she ushered her three kids to shore, the family said.
Meanwhile, Leah's dad, who'd been snorkelling 'some distance away', swam 'as fast as possible to shore', the Lendels said.
Leah was able to walk out of the water as nearby construction workers rushed to help.
'She was walking outside with [her] hand out bleeding, like really bad. So [a co-worker] put a towel on it to stop the bleeding. And I called 911,' Raynel Lugo, one of the workers told WINK News.
Witnesses the shark was about 2.4 metres in length.
Police body camera from the scene shows first responders treating Leah moments after the attack.
'Hey there sweetheart, you're being very brave,' one can be heard saying in the video.
Leah was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa. Nadia, a blogger with over 97,000 followers on Instagram, said she underwent a six-hour operation and is recovering well after doctors put her hand back together.
'They had to get arteries from her leg to the hand. Got the blood flow back to her hand. Install pins in bones. Still has open tissues. They will be monitoring her here for a week. But thank God she can move her fingers,' Nadia said.
'This is truly a MIRACLE,' the mother-of-five captioned a picture of her next to her daughter's hospital bed.
Max Derinskiy, an uncle of Leah's who created a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical expenses, told NBC News that she will remain in the hospital for a while and then faces 'a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again'.
'The doctors worked miracles and were able to put her hand back together,' he said.
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7NEWS
13 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Girl's hand ‘mostly torn off' in terrifying shark attack
A mother has recalled the horror she experienced in the moments after her young daughter was attacked by a shark. Nine-year-old Leah Lendel was bitten as she snorkelled off Boca Grande, Florida, on Wednesday, leaving her with severe injuries. Lendel's family told NBC affiliate WBBH the girl went underwater and as she came up, she started screaming. Her mother, Nadia, who was about 1.5 metres away with her two toddlers, said she saw that Leah's hand was covered in blood.. When Nadia looked over at her daughter, the family said she saw her daughter's right hand covered 'up to the wrist, all in blood and mostly torn off'. Nadia proceeded to scream for help as she ushered her three kids to shore, the family said. Meanwhile, Leah's dad, who'd been snorkelling 'some distance away', swam 'as fast as possible to shore', the Lendels said. Leah was able to walk out of the water as nearby construction workers rushed to help. 'She was walking outside with [her] hand out bleeding, like really bad. So [a co-worker] put a towel on it to stop the bleeding. And I called 911,' Raynel Lugo, one of the workers told WINK News. Witnesses the shark was about 2.4 metres in length. Police body camera from the scene shows first responders treating Leah moments after the attack. 'Hey there sweetheart, you're being very brave,' one can be heard saying in the video. Leah was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa. Nadia, a blogger with over 97,000 followers on Instagram, said she underwent a six-hour operation and is recovering well after doctors put her hand back together. 'They had to get arteries from her leg to the hand. Got the blood flow back to her hand. Install pins in bones. Still has open tissues. They will be monitoring her here for a week. But thank God she can move her fingers,' Nadia said. 'This is truly a MIRACLE,' the mother-of-five captioned a picture of her next to her daughter's hospital bed. Max Derinskiy, an uncle of Leah's who created a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical expenses, told NBC News that she will remain in the hospital for a while and then faces 'a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again'. 'The doctors worked miracles and were able to put her hand back together,' he said.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
'The stress brought the cancer on': 64yo woman scammed out of $223,000
Six months before Jenny Egan was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, she was scammed out of $223,000. Ms Egan, 64, was diagnosed on her birthday on May 7. She saw her doctor that day, who told her "there's a mass on your lung". "I was devastated," said Ms Egan, of Fishing Point in Lake Macquarie. She connected on social media with a man from the US last year. "He basically tricked her into investing money in cryptocurrency," Jenny's daughter Brittney Egan said. Brittney, 29, has set up a GoFundMe for her mum, titled "Jenny's lung cancer battle". "My mum means the world to me. She's not just a parent, she's also my best friend," she said. "She inspires me with her kindness and generosity. She's been knocked down many times and got back up. I believe she can do it again." Ms Egan shared her story to raise awareness to prevent others from being scammed. "He had my phone number and pressured me non-stop to add more money," she said. "I was suicidal when I realised I'd been scammed. I just think the stress has brought the cancer on." She was a smoker, but had never been in hospital before and felt healthy. Ms Egan reported the scam to police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The security centre's scam portal sends such reports to the police and/or the ACCC's ScamWatch. A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson said it had "referred the website to be assessed for takedown". "We encourage all Australians to report suspicious scam activity via the Scamwatch service to support the disruption of scam networks." A nurse for 20 years at Wyong Hospital and in aged care, Ms Egan now works in patient transport. She was diagnosed with lung cancer after suffering from "pains in the right side of my chest". "I thought I'd pulled a muscle," she said. A doctor referred her for a CT scan. "I had five days of pain and each day the pain got less and less and then went," she said. She considered cancelling, but went because it was free. Her doctor, based at Tuggerah where Brittney works as a nurse, phoned the next day. She was referred to a respiratory physician in Gosford. "I had to go to hospital for a biopsy and bronchoscopy," she said. "The doctor said if it's not too bad, he'd do a resection of my lung. "Unfortunately, it was bad. He rang me a week later with the results and said it's inoperable." The doctor confirmed a tumour on her lung had spread to an adrenal gland and was a stage four cancer. She will begin radiation on the adrenal gland at Gosford Hospital on Wednesday. She will then have chemotherapy and further radiation for her lung. "I'm a mess, but I'm trying to stay at work. That's the only thing that keeps me sane and stops me from falling in a heap. "I try to think about other people and my job, rather than myself. I don't want to upset my kids." Her children, including son Chad, want her to "stay mentally strong because they believe that helps". "I'm a fighter and I'm not giving up," she said. Lake Macquarie Police began investigating after Ms Egan reported she had been scammed from August to November 2024. "As inquiries into the incident continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," a police statement said. "Police urge anyone observing suspicious online activity and unknown solicitation of investment opportunities to be cautious and consider fraud prevention advice." Six months before Jenny Egan was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, she was scammed out of $223,000. Ms Egan, 64, was diagnosed on her birthday on May 7. She saw her doctor that day, who told her "there's a mass on your lung". "I was devastated," said Ms Egan, of Fishing Point in Lake Macquarie. She connected on social media with a man from the US last year. "He basically tricked her into investing money in cryptocurrency," Jenny's daughter Brittney Egan said. Brittney, 29, has set up a GoFundMe for her mum, titled "Jenny's lung cancer battle". "My mum means the world to me. She's not just a parent, she's also my best friend," she said. "She inspires me with her kindness and generosity. She's been knocked down many times and got back up. I believe she can do it again." Ms Egan shared her story to raise awareness to prevent others from being scammed. "He had my phone number and pressured me non-stop to add more money," she said. "I was suicidal when I realised I'd been scammed. I just think the stress has brought the cancer on." She was a smoker, but had never been in hospital before and felt healthy. Ms Egan reported the scam to police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The security centre's scam portal sends such reports to the police and/or the ACCC's ScamWatch. A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson said it had "referred the website to be assessed for takedown". "We encourage all Australians to report suspicious scam activity via the Scamwatch service to support the disruption of scam networks." A nurse for 20 years at Wyong Hospital and in aged care, Ms Egan now works in patient transport. She was diagnosed with lung cancer after suffering from "pains in the right side of my chest". "I thought I'd pulled a muscle," she said. A doctor referred her for a CT scan. "I had five days of pain and each day the pain got less and less and then went," she said. She considered cancelling, but went because it was free. Her doctor, based at Tuggerah where Brittney works as a nurse, phoned the next day. She was referred to a respiratory physician in Gosford. "I had to go to hospital for a biopsy and bronchoscopy," she said. "The doctor said if it's not too bad, he'd do a resection of my lung. "Unfortunately, it was bad. He rang me a week later with the results and said it's inoperable." The doctor confirmed a tumour on her lung had spread to an adrenal gland and was a stage four cancer. She will begin radiation on the adrenal gland at Gosford Hospital on Wednesday. She will then have chemotherapy and further radiation for her lung. "I'm a mess, but I'm trying to stay at work. That's the only thing that keeps me sane and stops me from falling in a heap. "I try to think about other people and my job, rather than myself. I don't want to upset my kids." Her children, including son Chad, want her to "stay mentally strong because they believe that helps". "I'm a fighter and I'm not giving up," she said. Lake Macquarie Police began investigating after Ms Egan reported she had been scammed from August to November 2024. "As inquiries into the incident continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," a police statement said. "Police urge anyone observing suspicious online activity and unknown solicitation of investment opportunities to be cautious and consider fraud prevention advice." Six months before Jenny Egan was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, she was scammed out of $223,000. Ms Egan, 64, was diagnosed on her birthday on May 7. She saw her doctor that day, who told her "there's a mass on your lung". "I was devastated," said Ms Egan, of Fishing Point in Lake Macquarie. She connected on social media with a man from the US last year. "He basically tricked her into investing money in cryptocurrency," Jenny's daughter Brittney Egan said. Brittney, 29, has set up a GoFundMe for her mum, titled "Jenny's lung cancer battle". "My mum means the world to me. She's not just a parent, she's also my best friend," she said. "She inspires me with her kindness and generosity. She's been knocked down many times and got back up. I believe she can do it again." Ms Egan shared her story to raise awareness to prevent others from being scammed. "He had my phone number and pressured me non-stop to add more money," she said. "I was suicidal when I realised I'd been scammed. I just think the stress has brought the cancer on." She was a smoker, but had never been in hospital before and felt healthy. Ms Egan reported the scam to police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The security centre's scam portal sends such reports to the police and/or the ACCC's ScamWatch. A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson said it had "referred the website to be assessed for takedown". "We encourage all Australians to report suspicious scam activity via the Scamwatch service to support the disruption of scam networks." A nurse for 20 years at Wyong Hospital and in aged care, Ms Egan now works in patient transport. She was diagnosed with lung cancer after suffering from "pains in the right side of my chest". "I thought I'd pulled a muscle," she said. A doctor referred her for a CT scan. "I had five days of pain and each day the pain got less and less and then went," she said. She considered cancelling, but went because it was free. Her doctor, based at Tuggerah where Brittney works as a nurse, phoned the next day. She was referred to a respiratory physician in Gosford. "I had to go to hospital for a biopsy and bronchoscopy," she said. "The doctor said if it's not too bad, he'd do a resection of my lung. "Unfortunately, it was bad. He rang me a week later with the results and said it's inoperable." The doctor confirmed a tumour on her lung had spread to an adrenal gland and was a stage four cancer. She will begin radiation on the adrenal gland at Gosford Hospital on Wednesday. She will then have chemotherapy and further radiation for her lung. "I'm a mess, but I'm trying to stay at work. That's the only thing that keeps me sane and stops me from falling in a heap. "I try to think about other people and my job, rather than myself. I don't want to upset my kids." Her children, including son Chad, want her to "stay mentally strong because they believe that helps". "I'm a fighter and I'm not giving up," she said. Lake Macquarie Police began investigating after Ms Egan reported she had been scammed from August to November 2024. "As inquiries into the incident continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," a police statement said. "Police urge anyone observing suspicious online activity and unknown solicitation of investment opportunities to be cautious and consider fraud prevention advice." Six months before Jenny Egan was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, she was scammed out of $223,000. Ms Egan, 64, was diagnosed on her birthday on May 7. She saw her doctor that day, who told her "there's a mass on your lung". "I was devastated," said Ms Egan, of Fishing Point in Lake Macquarie. She connected on social media with a man from the US last year. "He basically tricked her into investing money in cryptocurrency," Jenny's daughter Brittney Egan said. Brittney, 29, has set up a GoFundMe for her mum, titled "Jenny's lung cancer battle". "My mum means the world to me. She's not just a parent, she's also my best friend," she said. "She inspires me with her kindness and generosity. She's been knocked down many times and got back up. I believe she can do it again." Ms Egan shared her story to raise awareness to prevent others from being scammed. "He had my phone number and pressured me non-stop to add more money," she said. "I was suicidal when I realised I'd been scammed. I just think the stress has brought the cancer on." She was a smoker, but had never been in hospital before and felt healthy. Ms Egan reported the scam to police and the Australian Cyber Security Centre. The security centre's scam portal sends such reports to the police and/or the ACCC's ScamWatch. A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson said it had "referred the website to be assessed for takedown". "We encourage all Australians to report suspicious scam activity via the Scamwatch service to support the disruption of scam networks." A nurse for 20 years at Wyong Hospital and in aged care, Ms Egan now works in patient transport. She was diagnosed with lung cancer after suffering from "pains in the right side of my chest". "I thought I'd pulled a muscle," she said. A doctor referred her for a CT scan. "I had five days of pain and each day the pain got less and less and then went," she said. She considered cancelling, but went because it was free. Her doctor, based at Tuggerah where Brittney works as a nurse, phoned the next day. She was referred to a respiratory physician in Gosford. "I had to go to hospital for a biopsy and bronchoscopy," she said. "The doctor said if it's not too bad, he'd do a resection of my lung. "Unfortunately, it was bad. He rang me a week later with the results and said it's inoperable." The doctor confirmed a tumour on her lung had spread to an adrenal gland and was a stage four cancer. She will begin radiation on the adrenal gland at Gosford Hospital on Wednesday. She will then have chemotherapy and further radiation for her lung. "I'm a mess, but I'm trying to stay at work. That's the only thing that keeps me sane and stops me from falling in a heap. "I try to think about other people and my job, rather than myself. I don't want to upset my kids." Her children, including son Chad, want her to "stay mentally strong because they believe that helps". "I'm a fighter and I'm not giving up," she said. Lake Macquarie Police began investigating after Ms Egan reported she had been scammed from August to November 2024. "As inquiries into the incident continue, anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000," a police statement said. "Police urge anyone observing suspicious online activity and unknown solicitation of investment opportunities to be cautious and consider fraud prevention advice."
AU Financial Review
2 days ago
- AU Financial Review
IVF patients share horror stories amid Monash embryo bungle
These are the types of stories filling up Lucy Lines' inbox after the former embryologist asked her 15,000 Instagram followers whether something had gone wrong during their IVF cycle. 'I was sent another patient's pathology form.' 'My ex-partner was mistakenly sent my appointment details.' 'I was given the wrong injections.' 'My best-quality eggs were inadvertently destroyed.'
