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A TOURIST was left seriously injured after a shark sank its teeth into her during her first-ever trip to Florida.
The woman, from Las Vegas, had just entered the water when she came face to face with the predator.
The terrifying attack happened on May 27 in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, just south of Pompano Beach.
Emily Ross was snorkeling in waist-deep water when she spotted the animal’s tail.
“I was just wandering around looking at the fish, and then I saw the tail of the shark,” she told Fox affiliate KVVU-TV.
“It came in so incredibly quick and grabbed onto me. I didn’t feel the bite, I just felt the pressure.”
Officials say the size of the wound was consistent with that of a barracuda bite, but the exact species has not been confirmed.
Ross said she saw a smaller shark with black tips, a type known to live in tropical coastal waters.
Blacktip sharks are commonly found in the part of Florida she was in, according to the Florida Museum.
Ross had traveled with her mother’s friend to mark the anniversary of her mother’s death.
It was her first time visiting the Sunshine State.
Underwater cameras in the area have shown a wide range of marine life, including coral reefs, manatees, barracudas, and sharks.
Despite the chaos, Ross managed to kick the shark away and rush back to shore.
Bleeding heavily, she called for help as beachgoers rushed to her aid.
Two people named Ivan and Kim, used a towel to create a tourniquet and stop the bleeding.
Emergency crews arrived and rushed Ross to a local trauma center.
Great White Sharks – the facts
Here’s what you need to know…
- The great white shark is a species of the large mackerel shark
- They’re typically found in the costal surface waters of all major oceans
- Great whites are famous for their size
- Females are bigger than males, growing up to 6.1 metres, or 20 feet, in length
- At full maturity, a great white can weigh up to 1,905 kilograms, or 4,200 pounds
- A 2014 study revealed that the lifespan of a great white shark is estimated at 70 years or longer
- Great white sharks can swim at speeds of over 56km/h or 35mph
- And they can swim to depths of 1,200m, or 3,900 feet
- Experts believe that great whites have no natural predators, other than the killer whale in very rare instances
- Great whites became part of the popular imagination after the 1974 novel Jaws, and the later Steven Spielberg film adaptation
- Humans aren’t the natural prey of great whites, but they’re responsible for the largest number of unprovoked shark attacks on humans
Doctors performed emergency surgery and skin grafts to repair the extensive wound on her hand.
She has since returned to Las Vegas and is undergoing intense physical therapy to regain full use of her hand.
Ross, a computer programmer, is hoping to get back to work soon.
“I’m still angry. There’s this weird multitude of feelings that I have,” she said.
“It is so uncommon, and for it to happen in such a way that I wasn’t even doing anything cool.”
Ross said she’s had several encounters with sharks while scuba diving but never experienced anything dangerous – until now.
Though she previously worked as a lifeguard, Ross has said beachgoers should always swim near professionals.
“It doesn’t matter how strong of a swimmer you are, you should watch out to only swim when there’s lifeguards present,” she said.
“This is something that I take full responsibility for.”
There were no lifeguards on duty in that area at the time, officials confirmed.
Authorities are urging tourists to stay alert and only swim in designated lifeguarded zones.
