12-year-old miraculously survives shark attack while swimming at Florida beach
The family had been been worried about sunburn, but weren’t prepared for the greater risk in store
A 12-year-old girl has miraculously survived a shark attack while swimming at a Florida beach, having known it ‘wasn’t good’.
Magnolia Woodhead was swimming near the pier at Cocoa Beach, south of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, on Monday 26 June when she was attacked by a shark.
She was visiting the state from Philadelphia with her family for a gymnastics competition, and had decided to take a trip to the beach the day before.
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They’d been worried about sunburn, but weren’t prepared for the greater risk in store.
"Shark bite was not on the agenda for the day, I'll tell you that,” mum Melissa Stallings told Fox35 Orlando, adding: “My husband picks her up, and I could see blood dripping down her leg."
Magnolia recalled: "Right when I got out of the water, I just started screaming because I knew that it wasn't good."
She admitted that the first thing on her mind was the reason for their trip.
“My first thought was, ‘Am I not gonna be able to go to gymnastics?’” Magnolia said.
The youngster was taken to hospital, where she received 50 stitches.
Doctors told her that they believed the shark had bitten her twice due to the number of puncture wounds up and down her leg, with Melissa saying her daughter had about ‘75 to 100’ teeth wounds.
Sadly, Magnolia won’t be able to compete in her gymnastics competition, but hopes to return next year.
This time around, she’s had to cheer her teammates on from the sidelines.
"I was just there because I really wanted to support my teammates because I know they've worked so hard on this contest and stuff,” she added.
As for the prospect of heading back to the beach, Magnolia said she would probably be avoiding that ‘for a long time’.
Instead, the family plans to enjoy their time in Florida by heading to Walt Disney World later this week.
Magnolia’s attack comes after two men were bitten by sharks in Florida last month, within just 36 hours of one another.
One saw Kevin Blanco, a 20-year-old from Miami-Dade County, attacked while he was spearfishing with friends in Marathon.
"I just got blindsided...I don't really remember the pain, but I remember the pressure and the force that he hit my leg with," he told local news.
"It felt like I got hit by an F-150."
Jess Hardiman