Overview

• On June 11, an eight-foot bull shark bit Leah Lendel’s right hand down to her wrist as she snorkeled off Boca Grande, Florida.
• Nearby construction workers and family members improvised a tourniquet before Boca Grande fire and EMS crews airlifted her to Tampa General Hospital.
• Doctors performed a six-hour surgery using leg arteries and bone pins to reattach her hand; she is now in stable condition.
• Medical staff expect her to remain hospitalized for monitoring before beginning extensive physical therapy to regain hand function.
• This was the first shark bite on Boca Grande in about 20 years, and marine experts recommend swimming at busier beaches to lower the chances of encounters during tarpon season.