BENEATH THE WAVES

Girl Seriously Injured in Horror 9-Foot Shark Attack at Florida Beach

A family member reportedly jumped in the water and beat the shark off the victim.

A teenage girl was seriously injured in a shark attack in Florida on Thursday, local authorities said. The victim was scalloping in water around five feet deep off Keaton Beach when the predator struck, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. One of the girl’s family members reportedly jumped into the water to save her from the beast, which was estimated to be nine feet long by witnesses. The species of shark couldn’t be determined. “It’s a tragedy, what’s happened,” Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett told WCTV. The girl was expected to survive her injuries after undergoing surgery at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare. Florida accounts for almost 40 percent of the world’s unprovoked shark bites, according to the International Shark Attack File.

Editor’s Note: This cheat has been revised based on an updated report on the girl’s injuries.