Two people are recovering after being bitten by sharks in Florida.
Heather West, 42, was snorkeling with friends Jan. 22 off Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park.
The group was off Little Africa Reef, around 70 miles from Key West, and were only in the water for a few minutes when it started getting rough. The visibility was so poor the group decided to head in for a picnic.
West watched a school of fish as several of her friends hit the beach and saw a patch of sea grass floating in an odd manner. With an eerie sense that she needed to turn around, had an instinctive need to get out of the water. As she started back to the beach, she felt a tug on her right foot.
At first, she thought one of her friends was playing a prank and pulling her leg. A second harder tug pulled her under the water, and although she couldn’t see anything, she felt tremendous pressure on her foot.
That’s when she realized she was being held by a shark and knew she needed to fight. She began kicking and punching the estimated 6-foot lemon shark as it thrashed its tail. She fought it for what she guessed was a minute before it finally released her foot.
She shouted to her friends on the beach who saw what was happening, but due to poor visibility they could not see if the shark had left the area.
West, who lost her mask in the fight, was in shock and unable to swim. Thankfully, her friends quickly swam to her aid and pulled her to the beach. Looking at the wounds, they knew she needed medical attention. Two of the men carried her and luckily ran across two park rangers, who radioed for help.
A speedboat was dispatched and collected West, who had lost a large amount of blood. Rescuers tied multiple tourniquets to help stem the bleeding. She was eventually flown to a hospital in Key West.
She is grateful to have her foot but has severe damage to the ligaments and tendons in her foot. Thankfully, plastic surgeon Christopher Salgado and his staff saw West and treated the massive gap on her right foot.
West said she plans to get back in the water once her wounds heal.
Surfer bitten by shark at Cocoa Beach
Gene Menchara-Lopez, 18, was surfing near the Cocoa Beach Pier Feb. 10 when a shark bit him. He was surprised to feel something grab his right foot while he was swimming.
Lopez made it back to the beach and was treated on scene for puncture wounds by lifeguards who called 911. Medics were sent to the beach where they wrapped Lopez’s foot. He declined transport to the hospital, and said he was just happy that he had all five toes.
Both locations have been marked on the 2022 Shark Attack Map.
