Overview

• On June 11, 9-year-old Leah Lendel was snorkeling off Boca Grande, Florida, when a shark bite nearly severed her hand.
• Local bystanders applied a tourniquet and medics transported her to Tampa General Hospital’s Level I trauma center.
• Surgeons noted that the shark’s razor-sharp teeth produced a clean cut through the wrist, preserving tissue and allowing successful reattachment.
• Trackingsharks.com reports just four shark attacks in the U.S. so far in 2025, none of them fatal, underscoring the incident’s rarity.
• Leah is recovering with her family at her side, enjoying visits from a therapy dog and preparing for physical therapy to restore her hand’s strength.