9-year-old girl's hand torn off in shark attack off Florida beach, family says
BOCA GRANDE, Fla. (WFLA) — A 9-year-old girl was flown to a hospital Wednesday after suffering an apparent shark bite while in the water at a southwest Florida beach.
Authorities said the incident happened near the 2200 block of Shore Lane in Boca Grande, a small coastal community on Gasparilla Island.
Florida-based Silver Airways shuts down all operations
The girl's family confirmed her identity as a 9-year-old named Leah, Gulf Coast News reported.
Leah's mother, Nadia, was about 4 feet away when she heard her daughter, who was snorkeling, emerge from the water and scream, according to a statement from the family.
Nadia saw that Leah's right hand up to the wrist was covered in blood and mostly torn off.
Nearby construction workers rushed to help Leah and her parents as they screamed for help and scrambled to get to shore. A good Samaritan said the group quickly grabbed shirts to help Leah wrap her injuries.
Boca Grande Fire Department Chief C.W. Blosser III confirmed that the 9-year-old's injuries were consistent with a shark bite. However, first responders said there was no shark in the water when they arrived around noon.
The chief declined to describe the extent of the Leah's injuries but emphasized that the injuries were severe enough to require helicopter transport to a hospital.
Leah's family said Wednesday she was undergoing a long surgery.
This is not the first time a shark attack has been reported near the island. Blosser told Gulf Coast News there have been three attacks in the area, but that 'they were spread out over quite a bit of time.'
'When you get a call like that, you always hope for the best and prepare for the worst, so to speak,' the chief said.
Officials advised beachgoers to remain vigilant if planning to get in the water.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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