17-Year-Old Girl Punches 9-Foot Shark in the Nose During an Attack in Florida; Teenager Survives But Leg Has to Be Amputated

The Florida teenager who suffered a severe leg injury during a shark attack Thursday fought and hit the animal in the nose after trying to attack her.

A giant shark approached Addison Bethea, 17, twice near Keaton Beach, Florida. Bethea's father wrote in a Facebook post that her daughter wasn't able to escape despite hitting the monster in the nose until her brother grabbed her and booted the beast away.

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office confirmed the shark attack. In a statement, the office revealed that a "teenager was bit by an unidentified type of shark, reported as being around nine feet long."

Teenager Punches 9-Foot Shark's Nose in Florida

In her account of surviving a shark attack in Florida, Bethea described how she and her brother attempted to strike the sea monster in the nose.

The courageous adolescent was scalloping in shallow water at Keaton Beach in Taylor County when the 9-foot predator suddenly struck. Thankfully, she took the advice she learned from a nature documentary.

She recalled the assault at Keaton Beach and said the following on Good Morning America (via Daily Star): "The next thing I know something latches onto my leg and I was like that's not right."

"And then I look over and it's a big old shark," Bethea went on.

"Then I remember from watching the Animal Planet to like - punch [it] in the nose or something like that," she added.

Bethea mentioned that she couldn't get around to its nose the way the giant shark bit her.

ABC News said Rhett Willingham, Addison's shocked brother, hurried to aid his sister.

As her sister rose again, he noticed the shark and some blood.

"So then I swam over there, grabbed her, and then pushed them all, kind of trying to separate them; and he just kept coming.

Hence, Willingham grabbed his sibling and swam backward while kicking the shark. He also yelled for help.

Willingham immediately applied a tourniquet after he had managed to bring his sibling to the safety of the boat. The first aid method stopped severe blood loss and saved her life, Daily Beast reported.

When the boat arrived at the land, Willingham said rescuers rushed Addison to the hospital and into emergency surgery right away.

According to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), the bite caused irreparable soft tissue damage in her right leg. The hospital representatives added that the trauma team at TMH stabilized the patient. The trauma surgeon then carried out an urgent procedure to restore the blood flow in her leg. However, CBS News, later on, mentioned the teenager's leg would be removed.

Addison's spirits didn't seem to have been significantly affected by the wounds, CNN reported. The kid seemed optimistic despite saying she would have her leg amputated above the knee on Tuesday while lying in her hospital bed surrounded by plush sharks.

Shark Culprit Remains a Mystery

It is unknown what kind of shark attacked Addison. However, The Independent said the great white shark, tiger shark, and bull shark may grow over nine feet. They are also the three species of sharks responsible for many unprovoked attacks worldwide.

There are several different varieties of sharks in the oceans off the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

Both the East and West Coasts of the US are home to sharks. According to the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum, Florida has had around 900 unprovoked shark attacks, making it the state with the most such assaults in the US since 1837.

Hawaii, with 182 residents, and California, with 132, are the only other states that come close.

Additionally, according to the file, Florida topped the list of countries where shark bites have been documented, accounting for 38% of all unprovoked bites worldwide in 2021.

Over the past five years, Florida has recorded an average of 25 instances every year.

According to the International Shark Attack File, fewer attacks appear to be occurring. While shark attacks are always a potential threat, more deadly accidents are caused each year by lightning strikes.

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