The woman bitten by a shark in Boca Raton is out of the hospital. Friends say the 23-year-old is “handling it like a champ.”
Pictures went viral after paramedics took the woman to the hospital Sunday with a 2-feet long nurse shark still clinging to her forearm.
“When it came in, I don’t think anyone knew what to expect when they got on scene,” explained Fire Inspector Bob Lemmons from Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services.
He said the woman was too uncomfortable when paramedics tried removing the shark from her arm at the beach. So, they took her to the hospital with the shark still attached.
Lemmons said someone had killed the shark after the woman got out of the water, but its grip was still strong.
“It’s something so unique. It’s nothing we’ve ever had before,” Lemmons added, saying the department is trained to handle all sorts of situations.
Friends who were with the woman posted a picture on Facebook Sunday night showing the woman smiling from her hospital bed.
She was holding the dead shark in a bag on her lap. The group of friends buried the shark Sunday night.
The same friend said they he was snorkeling with the woman Sunday when they spotted the shark. He wanted to make it clear they did not provoke the shark into biting the woman.
But when we spoke to an underwater photographer and conservationist, he questioned the explanation. He said nurse sharks don’t normally bite humans.
“I would say close to 100 per cent of the so-called attacks are actually the case where someone is messing with the shark because it's so docile,” said Jim Abernethy
People at the beach today didn’t know about the bite, or didn’t seem concerned about it.
“I never thought about it, never had a second thought,” said Philip Zimmerman.
“I’ll probably end up going in [the water], I’ll just end up being more aware and cautious,” added Daniella Capodilupo.
