Teenage Girl Fights Off Shark That Won't Let Go of Her; Brother Jumps to the Rescue in Florida

A 15-year-old girl was attacked Thursday afternoon by a shark at Keaton Beach in Northwestern Florida while scalloping in about 5-feet deep water near Grassy Island.

Addison Bethea's family told CBS affiliate WCTV that she tried to fight off, but the shark would not let her go and bit her multiple times.

"It's a tragedy, what's happened," Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett told the news.

Tyler Bowling, program manager for the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File, confirmed that this is the first recorded shark attack in Taylor County. The type of the shark was still not identified, but it is said to be approximately nine feet in length.

Saved By His Firefighter Brother

Bethea tried to hit the shark so it would go away, and she even poked the shark in the eyes, but it refused to let her loose. Her brother, Rhett Willingham, a firefighter, jumped into the water and managed to beat the shark off Bethea.

Willingham put a tourniquet on Bethea's leg to minimize blood loss because of the massive injury she incurred and ensured that she stayed awake until she was rushed to the nearest hospital.

Robert Sudusky, a resident near Grassy Island, told WCTV that he witnessed some of the aftermaths of the horrific attack.

He said that Bethea was severely injured and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Tallahassee, the state capital, approximately 60 miles northwest of Keaton Beach, per ABC News.

Bear in mind the risk upon entering the water

"Boaters and swimmers are cautioned to be alert, vigilant, and practice shark safety," the sheriff's office said. "Some rules to follow are: never swim alone, do not enter the water near fishermen, avoid areas such as sandbars (where sharks like to congregate), do not swim near large schools of fish, and avoid erratic movements while in the water."

Everyone is advised not to swim alone and to know the consequences of the action they are about to take.

Although massively injured, Bethea is still in good spirits.

According to Daily Mail, signages are placed along many Florida beaches warning swimmers, and surfers, to "know your risk when entering the water." Florida has topped the global charts for shark bites and accounts for nearly 40 percent of unprovoked shark bites worldwide, according to The International Shark File (ISAF).

The record shows that shark attacks increased worldwide in 2021 following three consecutive years of decline, according to a report released in January. The U.S. was one of the countries with the most reported attacks, and Florida accounted for nearly 40 percent of unprovoked bites worldwide.

As of July 1, there have been recorded 32 shark attack bites (three provoked) and four fatal attacks that were publicly reported and verified in 2022.

Fifteen of the shark attacks took place in the United States (Hawaii 0, Florida 9, California 1), nine in Australia (1 fatal), according to Tracking Sharks.

Tracking Sharks is a site that provides information on why shark attacks across the globe happen and also offers a way to prevent shark encounters in the future.