Posted on 06/12/2025 10:17:39 AM PDT by V_TWIN
BOCA GRANDE, Fla. — A 9-year-old girl was snorkeling in Boca Grande, Florida, when she became the victim of a shark attack.
Leah Lendel was about four feet from her mother when the incident happened, WBBH reported.
The attack happened on Wednesday around noon, USA Today reported.
Nadia Lendel said that Leah submerged to snorkel, then came up and screamed. That’s when she saw her daughter’s arm covered in blood, her hand mostly torn off at the wrist.
Nadia Lendel was holding her two toddlers and she tried to take them to shore so she would be able to help her daughter.
Lendel’s husband was also in the water and was snorkeling with the couple’s two other children and tried to swim to Leah, who had walked to the shore by herself, WBBH reported.
The family told NBC News that she was “most likely in a state of shock.”
The Boca Grande Fire chief said Leah’s injuries looked consistent with a shark attack, but there was no shark when first responders arrived.
Leah was transported by helicopter to a Tampa hospital with her father and had a six-hour surgery to repair the damage. Doctors were able to put her hand back together.
They used arteries from her leg to get blood flowing in the hand, and installed pins in the bones. She is able to move her fingers and will be in the hospital for about a week for doctors to monitor her progress, WBBH reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at actionnewsjax.com ...
I remember one day during a high school summer break We were all at the beach because that was the only thing for kids to do in Jax back then. Suddenly everyone started hauling out of the water and there was a very large hammerhead swimming down the beach about ten ft off the sand.
Blackie was a legend on Jax Beach pier.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115217237/horace_bernard-reasor
BOLO - shark off the coast of Boca Grande which has tasted human blood.
THE VERY BEST ONES ARE THE ‘SPORTS INJURIES SURGEONS’.
I was happy to hear that she was going to be alright...
thanks be to Gid she will likely still have use of hand. prayers for full recovery of mind and body.
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