A snorkeling trip off the coast of Florida almost killed American teenager Addison Bethea about a year ago. Suddenly a shark attacked her “out of the blue” – Addison lost her leg in the process. The then 17-year-old was very lucky, especially since she knew how to react in such a case.
The shallow waters were familiar territory for the Betheas, who were born and raised in the state. The group of youths initially made fun of sharks to scare a friend who was swimming with them.
At first the young woman thought of a joke from her brother Rhett when she felt a tug on her leg, she now reports to the British “Guardian”. But when she surfaced, she saw that it was swimming right in front of her. “It was at that moment that I realized it,” she says.
“It Was All I Could Do”
The shark appeared “out of nowhere” next to Addison and bit her right calf. She yelled at her brother, “That was all I could do.” Just as he turned to look at her, the shark grabbed Addison again, this time by her right thigh, and dragged her under.
“And then I came up and saw everything at once: the flapping tail of the shark, the blood. It was a lot.”
Razor-sharp teeth stuck into the thighs
Rhett later estimated the shark’s length to be at least 10 feet, probably a bull or tiger shark. Both are among the few species known to pose a threat to humans and are common in Florida. But even when Addison saw the predator’s “razor-sharp teeth” dig into her thigh, she felt no pain; instead, she was confused, as she continues to report to the Guardian.
The attack felt like it happened in slow motion or like a dream. “When you try to scream and nothing comes out, that’s how I felt.” She was still trying to scream as loud as she could, “so someone can hear me and I don’t just die in the water.”
Nature documentaries as a life saver?
Rhett swam over and took Addison in his arms, but she was still attacked. “That’s when I started hitting the shark,” says Addison. A technique she knew from nature documentaries: it is often advised to hit the animal on the nose during an attack. She also grabbed the shark’s gills and poked its eyes. “His eyeball was the size of a baseball: very big, very sticky – very dirty,” she says. I remember thinking, “Euck” at the time.
The attack last June probably only lasted about 20 seconds (long enough, Addison notes). Her friends were with her all the time in the fairly shallow water just a few feet away. “They didn’t understand what was happening,” she says. It was only her screams that eventually caught the attention of passersby, and a speedboat rushed to help.
leg torn off
Pulled aboard, a pressure bandage was quickly applied, but “my whole upper leg was gone” from a few centimeters above the knee to the hip. Surgeons were then able to save enough of the leg that the young woman is no longer dependent on a wheelchair, but can live her life with a prosthesis.
Teenage girl back in the water
The now 18-year-old can now walk at her “normal walking pace” again and even finds strength for the gym again. In the future, Addison wants to study physiotherapy, inspired by her own experiences in the hospital. “Having experienced something like this makes me feel like it would be good to help others.”
She has since returned to the scene of the attack – and dared to go back into the water. “Swimming, snorkeling, and surfing are too big a part of my life to give up,” says Addison. “I won’t give up if I enjoy doing it.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
