9-year-old girl bit by shark while snorkeling in Florida, family says
The girl was swimming in the ocean with other family members around noon local time on June 11 when a shark bit her, Boca Grande Fire Chief C.W. Blosser said in a social media video.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene, and she was airlifted to a local hospital, Blosser said.
"The person was in the water at the time the bite occurred with other family members," he said. "They were able to get her out of the water and get her up on actually to the road."
Blosser said the girl is the first swimmer bitten by a shark in the area in two decades. In 2024, there were 14 unprovoked shark bites in Florida, the most of any state, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
"These occurrences are limited, but there always is a potential," Blosser said. "I don't think it's a cause for alarm at this point."
Family members identified the girl who was bitten by a shark off Boca Grande as 9-year-old Leah Lendel, according to Gulf Coast News and WBBH.
The girl's mother, Nadia Lendel, wrote in a story on Instagram, where she has over 90,000 followers, that Leah was undergoing surgery.
"Please keep our family in your prayers," the Instagram story reads. "Leah got bit by a shark today while snorkeling."
According to a GoFundMe raising funds for Leah's medical expenses, the young girl was bitten on the hand while playing in the water with her siblings.
"She is now stable and going through surgery - fighting hard for her road to recovery," the GoFundMe says.
The fundraising page also said Leah's family does not currently have medical insurance, and they expect "the journey ahead will be long and full of physical and emotional healing."
USA TODAY contacted Nadia Lendel for comment on June 12 but has not received a response.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 9-year-old girl survives shark attack in Florida
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rabbits With 'Tentacles' & Horns Spotted in Colorado Amid Virus Fears. See Photos
It sounds like something out of a horror movie: Rabbits spotted with "tentacles" or horns growing out of their heads. But it's really happened in Colorado. "There are really rabbits with what look like tentacles growing out of them," USA Today reported. What gives? Why do the rabbits have horns? Photos of the horned rabbits have emerged online. Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirms that rabbits can have "black nodules on the skin, usually the head," noting that "growths can sometimes become elongated, taking on a horn‐like appearance." Rabbits With 'Tentacles' Were Seen in Fort Collins, CO The rabbits caused a stir when they were spotted in Fort Collins, CO, according to the Coloradan. They've been dubbed "Frankenstein rabbits" by USA Today. "Cottontail rabbits with horn-like growths on their heads have appeared in Fort Collins in recent weeks," the site wrote on Aug. 13. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife discusses the virus on its website section about cottontail rabbits. "Rabbit papillomas are growths on the skin caused by the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus. The growths have no significant effects on wild rabbits unless they interfere with eating/drinking," it reads. The news freaked some people out online. The Rabbit Virus Isn't Harmful to Humans, Officials Say "Most infected cottontails can survive the viral infection, after which the growths will go away. For this reason, CPW does not recommend euthanizing rabbits with papillomas unless they are interfering with the rabbit's ability to eat and drink." Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the rabbit virus isn't harmful to humans. "Like other papillomaviruses, this virus is specific to rabbits and does not cause disease in other species," the agency wrote. "There is a risk of transmission to domestic rabbits, especially if rabbits are housed outdoors where they may contact wild rabbits or biting insects. In domestic rabbits, the disease is more severe than in wild rabbits and should be treated by a veterinarian." Rabbits With 'Tentacles' & Horns Spotted in Colorado Amid Virus Fears. See Photos first appeared on Men's Journal on Aug 13, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Opinion: A generation plugged in, tuned out
At just nine years old, a child today can hold the world in their hands – yet lose touch with the one around them. For much of Generation Z, this is a reality. Like many kids, I got my first phone not because I needed one, but because peer pressure made it feel like I'd be left behind without it. After countless months of begging my parents, they bought me my first phone. With a brand new iPhone 7 in hand, I felt like I had unlocked the rite of passage. However, once I downloaded popular social media apps – Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok – my life turned around. Social media exposed me to conversations that I wasn't ready for. There comes a point in a child's life when they start to become subject to peer pressure. According to Children's Health , peer pressure begins as early as age ten with the formation of friend groups in elementary school. Peer pressure can come in many different shapes and sizes: what you wear, how you act, and now, whether you own a phone. When it comes to peer pressure caused by phones, it more specifically goes under the category of ' social conformity . ' Social conformity is the tendency for one to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, or lifestyle to align with those in a group or a social norm. The tendency for children or teenagers to succumb to social conformity is becoming more and more prevalent in this day and age. Social media is dangerous. While it isn't physically dangerous, social media has created a culture of comparison and hate speech. According to the Anti-Defamation League's annual survey , up to 22% of Americans reported experiencing hate speech online. For children and teens, especially, this can be harmful. The harm is rooted in a child's maturity level. Now more than ever, before children develop proper emotional and psychological tools, they are shown explicit and harmful content. Instead of connecting and building confidence, kids often find themselves isolated and insecure. In fact, a survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health questioned 14-24-year-olds on how UK social media has impacted their health. The results revealed that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness. As social media platforms continue to shape young minds, it's important to make a change. While it's nearly impossible to disconnect children from social media completely, we can reform these platforms from within. Now, more than ever, it's crucial to enforce extra precautions through stricter content moderation, promoting digital literacy, and holding platforms accountable for the harmful environments they create. Together, we must aim to create a space that fosters well-being and connection rather than harm and isolation. Related
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Personal trainer recommends the one arm plank as the perfect way to upgrade your core workouts — I gave it a try
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The plank is a great exercise for building core strength, but it's not the most exciting move you can do. It's quite the opposite, in fact, with the aim being to stay as still as possible. There are plenty of ways you can vary your planks, though, and the alternating one arm plank is one that's well worth trying. I saw the move recommended by personal trainer Kyle Knapp on Instagram, who describes it as 'simple but effective'. Having now tried the one arm alternating plank myself I would take issue with the idea that it's a simple move, but it's certainly effective for challenging your core and building strength. You don't need any equipment to do the alternating one arm plank, though performing the move on a yoga mat can help with grip, especially for your feet which will need to bear a bigger load than with the classic plank when you lift an arm off the floor. How to do the alternating one-arm plank Knapp demonstrates the move in his Instagram post, giving some useful pointers on how to do it most effectively You set up in a high plank position, with your hands supporting your upper body rather than your forearms. Then spread your feet wider than you would for a normal plank — this is vital for keeping your balance when you lift one hand off the floor. Lift one hand slowly up off the floor to your waist, aiming to keep the rest of your body as still as possible. Try not to buck your hips up in particular, or sway them over to the side where your hand is still grounded to compensate for the lack of support on the other side. Aim to complete five to 10 slow reps on each side, and if you're struggling with the move then you can build up the core strength for it by doing more of the standard high plank. Another good move to help build up to the one arm plank is the dumbbell plank drag. How hard is the alternating one-arm plank? I added the move into a longer core workout and it was notably harder than the regular plank. At first I thought the move was nigh-on impossible, because I set up with my feet together and didn't have the strength to support myself on one arm. Once I rechecked Knapp's post and got my position right, it became hard, but manageable. I added the move into a longer core workout and it was notably harder than the regular plank. You really have to brace your core and glutes to maintain the plank position while lifting one arm, and it was hard to get through five reps on each side without starting to rush. It's an effective core move that I'll continue to do in future workouts, and the extra movement you do compared to the classic plank makes it a more engaging exercise and keeps you focused on using your core muscles. Once you become comfortable with the alternating one arm plank you can progress again to the renegade row, which is a similar exercise where you hold dumbbells, lifting them up to your chest when you raise each hand. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide No, not push-ups — try the 'steering wheel' exercise to strengthen your upper body instead Who needs the gym? Longevity expert shares the only 6 exercises you need after 40, 50 and 60 to build strength I cancelled my gym membership two months ago — here's how I'm staying just as fit at home
