TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A 911 call was released Thursday after a shark attacked a 9-year-old girl in Boca Grande Beach on Wednesday.
NBC affiliate WBBH reported that Leah Rendell was snorkeling with her family underwater when the shark bit her and nearly smashed her wrist.
On a 911 call, the operator told the caller he needed to know exactly what happened.
“Is anyone injured by that shark?” she asked.
“Yes. The shark bit the arm for the little one,” the man said. “It’s pretty bad.”
The family says the 9-year-old girl recovers at Tampa Hospital after toresting a hand by a shark
“Is your child safe and is he putting out water?” the operator asked.
“I’m putting out water, but she completely destroyed her arm,” the man said.
The man later explained that blood was pouring from the girl’s wrists. He said she was waking up and breathing.
“Is she responding normally?” the operator asked. “Yeah, she’s responding normally,” the man said.
The 911 operator walked the man to stop the wound bleeding while the first responder advanced to the scene.
Leah was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he underwent six hours of surgery. Her mother said the surgeon was able to get her hands back.
“They had to get the artery from their feet, they put the blood flow back into their hands. They put pins on the bones. They still have open tissue. They will be monitoring here for a week. But I’m grateful that she can move her fingers.”
