Latest news with #sharkbite
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
9-year-old girl has 'miracle' surgery at Tampa General after shark bite
A 9-year-old girl whose hand was nearly severed in a shark bite is now able to move all her fingers, according to a social media post from her family. The girl, Leah Lendel, was snorkeling off the coast of Boca Grande on Wednesday when the incident occurred, her family shared online. Boca Grande Fire Chief C.W. Blosser told the Tampa Bay Times that Lendel was pulled from the water by bystanders and carried to a nearby road parallel to the beach. Blosser said emergency responders from Lee County Emergency Medical Services and the Boca Grande Fire Department arranged for air transport within ten minutes of arriving at the scene. Lendel was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, the region's only Level I trauma center. According to updates shared on Instagram and in a public statement from the family, the shark bite left Lendel's wrist 'hanging on by just the skin.' Her mother, Nadia Lendel, wrote that surgeons inserted pins to stabilize her broken bones and transferred arteries from her leg to help restore blood flow to her hand. 'She thought she would lose her hand for good,' her mother posted. Leah underwent a lengthy surgery on Wednesday, according to the statement from her family. By the next morning, doctors restored movement in two of Lendel's fingers, though the rest of her hand remained numb, the statement said. Lendel's mother shared another update on social media Friday morning, saying that Lendel could move all her fingers and calling it a 'miracle.' She added that doctors decided Lendel did not need sedation and would change her cast to monitor the healing process. Blosser said shark bites are uncommon in the waters by Boca Grande, about 100 miles south of Tampa on Gasparilla Island. The last reported shark bite in the area occurred about five years ago, when a man was bitten after falling from a boat, he said. He said the risk can rise during tarpon season, when game fish draw sharks closer to shore. There's always some risk in Gulf waters, he said. 'But this is a very isolated incident.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
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.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Swimmer mauled by a shark during swim near Port Noarlunga jetty
A man has been bitten by a shark while swimming at a beach in South Australia. More to come.
