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A NINE-year-old girl has been savaged by a shark at a popular US beach in a “terrifying life-altering event.”
Leah Lendel had to be airlifted to a trauma center after her horrified parents heard her screaming and saw the water turn red with her blood.
A shark mauled the little girl in a horrific attack while she was snorkeling off Boca Grand in Florida.
The Boca Grande Fire Department said the mauling happened yesterday at about noon near Fort Myers, on the state’s southwest coast.
Her distraught family said in a statement that Leah was underwater when she suddenly surfaced screaming.
Her right hand was covered in blood, turning the sea red after she was bitten by the 8ft-long predator – reportedly a bull shark.
The family described her arm as being so badly savaged that her hand was barely attached to it.
They said: “We’re thankful to Jesus for the quick response of emergency crews.”
Eyewitness Raynel Lugo was at the beach when he heard Leah’s cries for help.
He told CBS-affiliate WINK, “We heard somebody screaming ‘help, help, help.’
“And then we jump on and see what’s going on, and I saw it was like five kids on the water, mom and dad on the water.
“I saw a shark right on top of the lady, little kid.
“So we jump on the water, we pull him off, and the shark was right behind us, and it was pretty bad.”
Lugo said that Leah “was walking outside with the hands out bleeding, like really bad.”
A towel was wrapped around the injured limb to try and stem the bleeding, “and I called 911.”
I saw a shark right on top of the lady, little kid
Lugo recounted the horrific details of Leah’s injury, describing how her wounded hand “was just hanging by this piece… the whole thing was completely hanging out.”
“You can see bones all completely red. So we stopped [the] bleeding.
“We tried to stop it. She put a towel on it and [held] it in… place. So I sit down with her, and I was talking to the EMS arrived.”
SHOCK
Another witness, Alfonso Tello, shared with NBC-affiliate WBBH that he and his construction worker colleagues were on a lunch break by the seaside when they heard Leah’s frantic cries for help.
He said, “I was thinking that they were playing around.
“But when we heard the scream like ‘help, help’ we saw the little girl crying.
“So when we see that little girl come out from the water with no hand, it was… like everybody was in shock.”
BULL SHARK
Although the species has not been confirmed, those at the beach indicated it could have been a bull shark.
Tello said, “It was a big shark… would say like eight feet.”
Lugo praised Leah – who is the same age as his own daughter – for being so “brave” despite her nearly fatal ordeal.
Local swimmer Pamela Krout said that she and other regular beachgoers normally stick close to the shore because of fears over possible attacks.
Krout said she felt “very sad” about Leah’s attack, adding, “You have to be careful, keep an eye out. How sad… and I feel so bad for her.”
TERRIFYING
Leah’s family has launched an online fundraiser to help her recovery.
Their GoFundMe page states, “What was intended to be a fun and sunny day at the Boca Grande beach turned into a terrifying and life-altering experience for 9-year-old Leah.”
“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.”
More than $20,000 has so far been donated in aid of Leah’s treatment.
More on Bull Sharks
They’re highly territorial creatures
The distinguishing characteristics of a bull shark include a pale to dark gray back, with a white belly and stocky shape.
They can grow up to 11 feet long.
Bull sharks have a unique ability to tolerate freshwater and saltwater habitats – and have even been spotted in rivers and travelling great distances upstream.
Bull sharks live in estuarine, nearshore and offshore waters of both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida.
They feast on sharks, rays, dolphins, sea turtles, and sea birds.
Bull sharks are found in shallow, warmer coastal waters worldwide, often near where humans prefer to swim.
Humans are not part of a bull shark’s usual diet.
But, they’re known to be aggressive towards people and are thought to be one of the most dangerous shark species in the world.
Sources: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and IFAW
BITE STATS
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File investigated 88 shark attacks reported worldwide in 2024.
It said its experts had confirmed 47 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 24 provoked bites.
The museum said, “Florida has long topped global charts for the number of shark bites, and 2024 was no different.
“Florida’s 14 cases represent 50% of the U.S. total and 30% of unprovoked bites worldwide.”
