Overview

• Annabelle Carlson, 16, was bitten on her hands and then her right leg by a second shark after a dive off Belize in August 2025.
• People in the water threw a life ring and oxygen tanks to help, and a tourist’s tourniquet was used after the boat’s kit lacked lifesaving gear.
• She fought to stay conscious during a 90‑minute ride to shore, was airlifted, stabilized in Miami, and later transferred to Children’s Hospital Colorado.
• Children’s Hospital Colorado cites a “one‑in‑a‑million” mycobacterial infection that required repeated operations, with roughly a dozen surgeries so far and another scheduled.
• Carlson has returned to running, workouts, Pilates and scuba diving, and she plans a foundation to equip boats and camps with proper first‑aid kits and tourniquets.