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Teen Shark Attack Survivor Says Animal Fled After She Punched It in the Face

Damiana Humphrey and her family were wading in the water at a beach in Galveston, Texas when a shark attacked her.

A 19-year-old shark attack survivor recounted the harrowing moment the animal bit down on her hand—and the way she fought it off in the frightening few moments before it ultimately swam away. Damiana Humphrey and her siblings were vacationing in Galveston, Texas when the terrifying attack happened on May 28. The teenager told FOX 26 Houston that her sister-in-law saw something “tan” in the water approaching and just as she turned, the shark grabbed hold of her hand. “I looked down and there was a shark attached to my hand, so I guess I started punching it,” she told the station. “That part is kind of blurry to me.” Humphrey said her siblings did not even witness the battle despite being right next to her when it occurred. After the attack, she quickly bolted from the water. First responders took Humphrey to the hospital, where she underwent surgery for her four severed tendons. “Honestly, I’m just glad it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” she told FOX 26. Galveston Beach Patrol Peter Davis said that shark bites like this were rare among the nearly 8 million annual visitors to Galveston.