Overview

• On June 11, Leah Lendel was snorkeling near Boca Grande when an estimated 8-foot shark bit her right hand and bystanders and first responders quickly pulled her to safety.
• The bite left her wrist nearly severed and bleeding heavily before construction workers wrapped her hand in towels and emergency crews airlifted her to Tampa General Hospital.
• Surgeons spent several hours stabilizing her broken bones with metal pins and grafting leg arteries to restore blood flow to her hand.
• By June 13, doctors reported that Leah could move all her fingers, and she remains hospitalized under observation before beginning intensive rehabilitation.
• Florida recorded half of the United States’ 28 unprovoked shark bites in 2024, and experts warn that tarpon season can draw sharks closer to shore.