Shark nearly rips off 9-year-old girl's hand in terrifying Florida shark attack
Share this @internewscast.com

A 9-year-old girl snorkeling off the coast of Florida nearly lost her hand when a shark bit her in a harrowing attack, her family said Thursday.

Little Leah Lendel was swimming with her family near Boca Grande around noon on Wednesday when a shark attacked her, biting deeply into her right hand and leaving it nearly severed at the wrist, as reported by Gulf Coast News.

While holding her two toddlers in floaties just four feet away, her mother shouted for assistance as Leah’s wound bled profusely, the family said in a statement.

“Someone was yelling, ‘Help, help, help!’” recalled Raynel Lugo, a worker nearby, to WINK News. “There were about five kids in the water, along with their mom and dad, and I saw a shark right on top of the woman and child.”

Lendel’s father, who was swimming farther away, rushed to help his daughter to shore and good Samaritans then wrapped her hand in a tourniquet.

“She was walking outside with [her] hand out bleeding, like really bad. So [a co-worker] put a towel on it to stop the bleeding. And I called 911,” Lugo said.

The youngster was quickly air-lifted to a hospital in Tampa, where she underwent a six-hour surgery, and doctors were able to save her hand.

Leah’s uncle, Max Derinskiy, said the girl will likely remain in the hospital for a while and then undergo “a lot of physical therapy to hopefully get her hand functioning again,” according to NBC News.

Derinskiy has since set up an online fundraiser to help the family with medical bills.The attack was likely from a bull shark because it’s both mating season and “tarpon season” — meaning there’s an abundance of fish that the sharks eat in the area, naturalist  Rob HowellBull told WINK News.

Bull sharks generally grow to 7 to 11 feet in length.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Security video captures moment former mayor stabbed multiple times outside his blue state business

Security Footage Reveals Former Mayor Stabbed Repeatedly Outside Business in Blue State

A dramatic incident unfolded outside a Massachusetts cannabis dispensary on Monday afternoon,…
Serbian foreign minister proposes hosting Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations amid ongoing conflict

Serbia Offers Neutral Ground for Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks: A Diplomatic Step Towards Resolution

EXCLUSIVE: Marko Djuric, the Foreign Minister of Serbia, revealed to Fox News…
NATO fighter jets scrambled after Russian planes allegedly violate airspace

NATO Jets Respond to Suspected Russian Airspace Breach

Two Spanish fighter jets on NATO air policing duties were dispatched after…
Jail's tight leash on Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin all about 'safety,' not silencing, expert says

Attorneys for Alleged Assassin in Charlie Kirk Case Seek Courtroom Camera Ban to Combat ‘Content Tornado

Lawyers representing the man accused of killing Turning Point USA founder Charlie…
Ontario premier says he'll pull ad that upset Trump so trade talks between Canada and US can resume

Ontario Premier Withdraws Controversial Ad to Reopen Canada-US Trade Dialogues

TORONTO (AP) — The Premier of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, announced…
Slain motorcyclist’s sweetheart says $50K bail for murder suspect with criminal record left her ‘hopeless’

Motorcyclist’s Partner Expresses Dismay Over $50K Bail for Murder Suspect With Previous Criminal Record

The bereaved partner of a motorcyclist who lost his life in Washington…
Did anybody win Friday's $680M Mega Millions jackpot?

Discover if Anyone Hit the $680 Million Mega Millions Jackpot on Friday!

The latest Mega Millions jackpot reached a staggering $680 million, making it…
Rubio slams UNRWA as a 'subsidiary of Hamas,' vows it will not 'play any role' in delivering aid to Gaza

Senator Rubio Denounces UNRWA as ‘Hamas Subsidiary,’ Pledges to Block Gaza Aid Involvement

In the wake of Vice President JD Vance’s departure back to Washington,…
Study links TikTok use to Gen Z women’s attraction to criminals

New Study Reveals Surprising Connection Between TikTok Use and Gen Z Women’s Interest in ‘Bad Boys

Gen Z Women Are Swooning Over These Men! A recent study reveals…
Oswego, IL Chick-fil-A: Darryl Lee Jr., 19, charged with murder in stabbing, attack at restaurant on Route 34 held in custody

Oswego Chick-fil-A Stabbing: 19-Year-Old Darryl Lee Jr. Charged with Murder at Route 34 Restaurant

A man implicated in a fatal stabbing incident at a Chick-Fil-A in…
Colts cheerleader uses sign language to converse with deaf fan at his first game

Heartwarming Moment: Colts Cheerleader Bridges the Gap with Sign Language at Deaf Fan’s First Game

Colts cheerleader Morgan McLain, who studied American Sign Language (ASL) as a…
ABC7 Sports Overtime: Dionne talks Chicago Bears win streak, Blackhawks point streak, Fire in playoffs

ABC7 Sports Overtime: Dionne Discusses Chicago Bears’ Winning Streak, Blackhawks’ Continued Success, and Fire’s Playoff Journey

Chicago sports enthusiasts have plenty to cheer about these days, especially with…