Latest news with #LeahLendel
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
Frantic 911 call as girl, 9, is mauled by shark that ripped off her hand as onlookers screamed ‘it's circling in water'
TERRIFYING 911 audio has revealed the moment a brave nine-year-old-girl was rescued following a gruesome shark attack. Petrified visitors to a popular family beach screamed as the predator circled in the water after it savaged Leah Lendel 's arm. 5 5 The mauling happened on Wednesday while Leah was snorkeling in shallow water, nearly tearing her hand off in Boca Grande in Florida. Her right hand was covered in blood, turning the sea red after she was bitten by the 8ft-long predator - reportedly a bull shark. First responders were quickly alerted by two 911 callers, reported Fort Myers News-Press. In one call, a stressed man can be heard telling the operator that the girl's "arm was completely destroyed." The man told the 911 dispatcher, 'I'm on Boca Grande right now… I need a medical service ASAP, there's a shark.' She asked, 'I'm sorry, there's what?' He repeated, 'A shark.' When asked whether anyone had been injured by the shark, he confirmed, 'Yes, yes, a shark bit the arm of the little kid, really bad.' After the dispatcher confirmed that help was on the way, he was asked whether the girl was 'safe and out of water?" The caller replied that she was 'out of water but she got the arm completely destroyed. She is safe out of the water, yes. She is nine years old, a girl.' Girl, 9, mauled by shark at popular US beach as horrified parents hear her screams and watch water turn red with blood After being told to tell everyone helping the victim that help was on the way, the dispatcher asked him whether Leah was awake, and breathing. He replied, 'She is awake, yes, she is breathing.' He also confirmed that she had suffered serious bleeding. When asked whether the blood was 'spurting or pouring out" he replied, 'Yes, we've got a towel on it. "She is responding normally, she is scared, it's her hand, the whole wrist.' He was also asked whether Leah's arm was 'bent out of shape' to which he replied, 'It's a little bit, yes, we've put it together under the towel." Statement from Leah Lendel's family following the nine-year-old's shark attack Nine-year-old Leah experienced a terrifying and life-altering event. Her family has issued the following statement following the suspected bull shark attack in Boca Grande, Florida: "We want to say Thank You to everyone that is praying for our sweet Leah. "We are thankful for the quick response of everyone that was on scene, the construction workers, residents that ran out to help and the first responders and to all the Doctors/Nurses that are doing everything to help our girl. "Yesterday Leah had an extensive surgery on her hand (wrist & fingers). "The Doctors, were able to get blood flow to her hand and fingers. "She is showing some movement in two fingers but can't feel the rest. "The doctors will be doing another procedure tomorrow to see if there is anything else that needs to be done. "The fact that Leah has all her fingers attached is already a testimony. "From witnessing her wrist hanging on by just the skin, to have blood flow in all of her hand and fingers is truly a miracle. "Please keep praying for our family, our God is a miracle worker." The dispatcher immediately stressed that those giving Leah first aid should not lift the towel to check the wound, for fear it would result in further blood loss. He was told to use the towel to 'press down firmly on the wound, don't lift up to look, OK?' He confirmed they were following the instructions. He also confirmed Leah's bleeding was 'not under control, but we've got it in the towel right now." Within about four minutes of his frantic call, responders from the Boca Grande Fire Department had arrived at the scene. 5 5 Incredibly, in an update on the attack, Leah's family has said that surgeons were able to repair her hand, but she faces further operations. Asking for people's "prayers", they said in a statement, "The doctors, were able to get blood flow to her hand and fingers." Leah has already regained minor finger movement after the surgeons used pins and arteries from her leg, after being airlifted to a trauma center in Tampa. She underwent an initial six-hour surgery. IN SHOCK Her family told NBC affiliate WBBH that Leah's mom had been just 4 feet away with her two toddlers, said she noticed the girl's hand covered in blood and mostly torn off. Leah - in a "state of shock", according to family - somehow managed to walk out of the water by herself. Nearby construction workers taking a lunch break at the beach then wrapped her hand to stop the blood. Max Derinskiy, an uncle of Leah's, said, "The doctors were able to do some miracles and put her hand back together. "She will be in the hospital for a while and then a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again." BLOOD FLOW Leah's mother, Nadia Lendel, told WBBH, "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, an Instagram blogger with around 100,000 followers, posted following the attack, "Please keep our family in your prayers. Leah got bit by a shark today while snorkeling. "She has to get airlifted to the hospital and is undergoing surgery." Eyewitness Raynel Lugo said that he had called 911. SHARK CIRCLING He told CBS-affiliate WINK, "We heard somebody screaming 'help, help, help.' "I saw a shark right on top of... the little kid." Her injured hand "was just hanging by this piece… the whole thing was completely hanging out. "I have a daughter, nine-years-old, same age. She was brave," he added. Leah's dad had been snorkeling nearby and swam to shore, and with the help of the builders, they made a tourniquet out of a towel to help save her, the family said. LIFE-ALTERING The girl's family has launched an online fundraiser to help her recovery, which has already received more than $30,000 in donations. Their GoFundMe page says, "On what was supposed to be a fun and sunny day at the beach in Boca Grande, 9-year-old Leah experienced a terrifying and life-altering event. "While playing in the water with her siblings, she was bitten on her hand by a shark and had to be rushed to the hospital by Life Flight. "We're thankful to Jesus for the quick response of emergency crews and the skill of the medical team."
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Heartstopping bodycam shows what happened after famous mother's adorable daughter, 9, was mauled by shark
Body camera footage shows the moment a nine-year-old girl was pulled to shore after she was badly-mauled by a shark off the Florida coast. Leah Lendel was snorkeling off the shore of Boca Grande just four feet away from her famous influencer mother Nadia and younger siblings on June 11, when she was bitten by the shark. Leah 'screamed' as she emerged from the water, Nadia told police, sharing how her daughter's right hand was 'hanging' and there was 'blood everywhere'. Nadia rushed to get her other children to the shore as her husband, who had been snorkeling 'some distance away', swam 'as fast as possible to shore', ABC reports. Construction workers spending their lunch break on the beach jumped into action, with one calling 911 and the other using a towel to 'make a tourniquet' and 'stop the blood loss'. Paramedics began treatment at the scene, with one heard telling Leah 'you're very brave' as they prepared to airlift her to a hospital in Tampa, more than 100 miles away. Nadia, a mommy influencer with over 97,000 Instagram followers, told her fans Leah underwent a 'long surgery to save her hand' and doctors managed to 'get blow flow to her entire hand and all of her fingers'. A GoFundMe account was created in the family's honor to help support them as Leah battles a 'long' journey 'full of physical and emotional healing'. Body camera video released by the Lee County Sheriff's Office shows how Nadia was in complete shock after horror struck at the beach Wednesday. 'She flies out and I look over... and I could see her hand hanging, like a piece, and just blood everywhere,' Nadia told responding officers. 'I just started screaming to my husband to hurry up and get out cause I had so many babies and I don't know who to grab.' 'I'm just happy she's alive,' she added, as she fought back tears. Good Samaritans who rushed to help the family told police how they 'jumped into the water to take the shark out of its hands'. 'There was like four or five kids, so we had to bring everybody out of the water,' one bystander explained. Another called 911, telling dispatch: 'I need medical service ASAP! There's a shark!' 'I'm sorry, there's what?' the 911 operator replied. 'A shark,' the called reiterates. 'A shark bit the arm of a little kid.' Nadia shared an update on Leah's condition to her Instagram page and also asked her nearly 100,000 followers to 'please keep our family in your prayers' Leah was attacked by an eight-foot long bull shark in the water near the 2200 block of Shore Lane just before noon on Wednesday. Officials confirmed her injuries were consistent with that of a shark bite, although the dangerous creature was nowhere to seen when emergency responders arrived at the scene. Alfonso Tello and his coworkers were on lunch break when he heard the girl's scream. The men rushed to the water to help, unaware they had just witnessed a shark attack. Tello told local outlets: 'When we see that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was like something out – it gets me. Everybody was in shock.' His coworker Raynel Lugo told WINK, 'The hand, it was just hanging by this piece 'The whole thing was completely hanging out.' 'You can see bones all completely red.' Although surgeons were able to put Leah's hand back together, she still has a long road to recovery ahead. '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,' Nadia told WZVN. 'They will be monitoring her here for a week. But thank God she can move her fingers.' Alfonso Tello, told local outlets, 'When we see that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was like something out – it gets me. Everybody was in shock' Leah Lendel's uncle Max Derinsky also offered NBC News further details on the girl's condition: 'The doctors were able to do some miracles and put her hand back together. 'She will be in the hospital for a while and then a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again.' The family is facing 'overwhelming medical bills' in the coming months, with Leah likely yo need additional 'surgeries, physical therapy, counseling, and more', according to the family's GoFundMe. 'On what was supposed to be a fun and sunny day at the beach in Boca Grande, 9-year-old Leah experienced a terrifying and life-altering event,' the campaign stats. 'While playing in the water with her siblings, she was bitten on her hand by a shark and had to be rushed to the hospital by Life Flight. 'We're thankful to Jesus for the quick response of emergency crews and the skill of the medical team, she is now stable and going through surgery - fighting hard for her road to recovery.' The crowdfunder has already raised more than $34,000, as of Friday morning. Nadia has also asked her followers to 'please keep our family in your prayers'. In Boca Grande, May through July is known as tarpon season, when the large fish are most populous around the island. Their most active period also coincides with shark mating season. The Boca Grande Fire Department Chief CW Blosser told local news outlets that in his time as chief, he'd only seen two shark attacks. Both of them were during tarpon season. According to data half of United States shark attacks in 2024 took place in Florida. Although that number was still relatively low, with 14 cases reported in Florida, according to the University of Florida.
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Girl, 9, has hand bitten off by 8ft shark while snorkeling off Florida coast
A nine-year-old had her hand bitten off by an 8ft shark on Wednesday when she was attacked while snorkeling off the coast of Florida with her family. Leah Lendel, nine, was swimming in the waters Boca Grande with her mother Nadia and her siblings at around noon. Bystanders said a bull shark bit off her right hand and part of her wrist as she emerged from the water covered in blood. With the help of nearby construction workers, the family called 911 and created a tourniquet out of a beach towel to stop the bleeding. Leah was airlifted along with her father was airlifted to Tampa, 100 miles away and admitted for emergency surgery in which the limb was reattached. One of the construction workers, Alfonso Tello, told local outlets: 'When we see that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was like something out – it gets me. Everybody was in shock.' Tello and his coworkers were on lunch break when he heard the girl's screams. The men rushed to the water to help, unaware they had just witnessed a shark attack. Tello's coworker Raynel Lugo told WINK: 'The hand, it was just hanging by this piece. The whole thing was completely hanging out. You can see bones all completely red.' Her mother, Nadia Lendel, an Instagram blogger with almost 100,000 followers, posted an update to her supporters just after the attack. 'Please keep our family in your prayers. Leah got bit by a shark today while snorkeling. She has to get airlifted to the hospital and is undergoing surgery.' In her update to a CBS affiliate, Nadia said: '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.' Leah Lendel's uncle Max Derinsky also offered NBC News further details on the girl's condition: 'The doctors were able to do some miracles and put her hand back together. 'She will be in the hospital for a while and then a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again.' In Boca Grande, May through July is known as tarpon season, when the large fish are most populous around the island. Their most active period also coincides with shark mating season. The Boca Grande Fire Department Chief CW Blosser told local news outlets that in his time as chief, he'd only seen two shark attacks. Both of them were during tarpon season. Bull sharks are attracted to the schools of tarpon and pose a risk to swimmers and those fishing in the area.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Boca Grande shark attack nearly severed Florida girl's hand
The Brief A 9-year-old girl was bitten by a shark while snorkeling off Boca Grande, nearly severing her hand. She was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where doctors successfully saved her hand after hours of surgery. Experts say shark attacks are rare in the area, but Boca Grande waters are known for large predators like bull sharks. TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida girl is recovering after being bitten by a shark earlier this week. The backstory Leah Lendel, 9, was snorkeling with her family at Boca Grande when she was bitten by a shark, leaving her hand "hanging by a little piece of skin," according to a witness. A nearby construction crew rushed to help, pulling her from the water and calling 911. She was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where she underwent an hours-long surgery involving bone reconstruction, artery grafts from her leg, and tendon and nerve repair. READ: Trump pardons 2 divers who freed 19 sharks off the coast of Florida Her mother, Nadia Lendel, posted on social media that doctors were able to restore blood flow to the entire hand and all fingers. Leah is now able to move two of them—a promising sign. What they're saying "For a complex injury like this, you have to reconstruct the bone, the nerve, the artery, the tendons—each of those requires their own repair and rehab," explained Dr. Roger Casey Gaskins, Upper Extremities Surgeon. "These aren't clean injuries. Everything is torn and displaced in different directions." "An injury like a shark bite is not a nice, clean surgical incision. It's not only cutting—it's also crushing and tearing, which is gruesome to think about," said pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Alex Rottgers. "Injuries like that have a way of progressing and developing over time. The damage you see at first isn't always the full picture." Seasonal shark activity "Boca Grande is a very sharky area, especially this time of year," said Dr. Robert Heuter of Mote Marine Lab. "But remember—we're not on the shark's menu." This was the first reported shark bite in Boca Grande since 2019. Experts say the area is known for seasonal shark activity, especially during tarpon fishing season. The Source The Source: Interviews with a Tampa pediatric plastic surgeon, and an upper extremities orthopedic surgeon. FOX13's Evyn Moon also spoke with an expert of the Mote Marine Lab's Shark Research Center. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Girl, 9, has hand and wrist bitten off in horrifying Florida shark attack
A summer vacation took a turn for the worse when a mommy influencer's young daughter was attacked by a shark in Florida - leaving her without her right hand. Leah Lendel, nine, was snorkeling off the shore of Boca Grande with her mother Nadia and her siblings around noon on June 11, when she was bitten by the shark. Bystanders said an eight-foot bullshark managed to bite off the girl's right hand and part of her wrist. She emerged from the water on her own, completely covered in blood. With the help of nearby construction workers, the fashion blogger family called 911 and created a tourniquet out of a beach towel to stop the bleeding. Lendel, with her father, was airlifted to Tampa, 100 miles away and admitted for emergency surgery in hopes of reattaching the hand. One of the construction workers, Alfonso Tello, told local outlets: 'When we see that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was like something out – it gets me. Everybody was in shock.' Tello and his coworkers were on lunch break when he heard the girl's scream. The men rushed to the water to help, unaware they had just witnessed a shark attack. Tello's coworker Raynel Lugo told WINK, 'The hand, it was just hanging by this piece 'The whole thing was completely hanging out.' 'You can see bones all completely red.' Her mother, Nadia Lendel, an Instagram blogger with almost 100,000 followers, posted an update to her supporters just after the attack. 'Please keep our family in your prayers. Leah got bit by a shark today while snorkeling. 'She has to get airlifted to the hospital and is undergoing surgery.' In her update to a CBS affiliate, Nadia said: '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.' Leah Lendel's uncle Max Derinsky also offered NBC News further details on the girl's condition: 'The doctors were able to do some miracles and put her hand back together. 'She will be in the hospital for a while and then a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again.' In Boca Grande, May through July is known as tarpon season, when the large fish are most populous around the island. Their most active period also coincides with shark mating season. The Boca Grande Fire Department Chief CW Blosser told local news outlets that in his time as chief, he'd only seen two shark attacks. Both of them were during tarpon season. According to data half of United States shark attacks in 2024 took place in Florida. Although that number was still relatively low, with 14 cases reported in Florida, according to the University of Florida.
