Florida Girl's Hand Saved After Rare Shark Attack in Boca Grande

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A family's beach vacation shattered when 9-year-old Leah Lendel was attacked by an 8-foot shark while snorkeling in Boca Grande, Florida.

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"I could see her hand hanging — and there was blood everywhere," Leah's mother recalled of the horrifying moment when her daughter emerged from the water screaming.

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Construction workers nearby became unexpected heroes when they heard the family's desperate cries and rushed to help as the shark continued pursuing the child.

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"We saw the shark rushing in the water, it was right there, right behind her," said witness Raynel Lugo, who helped create a life-saving tourniquet from a towel.

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Leah's hand was left "hanging by a little piece of skin" with bones visible — but what happened next would determine if doctors could save it.

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After a grueling six-hour surgery at Tampa General Hospital, doctors achieved what many thought impossible — restoring blood flow to Leah's nearly severed hand

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This marked the first shark attack in Boca Grande in 20 years, shocking locals in an area not known for shark incidents despite Florida leading the nation in bites.

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Marine experts explain that sharks don't target humans — so why did this attack happen and how can families stay safe while swimming?

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"They are hungrier this time of year, and anything moving or splashing will attract their attention," warns Marine Biologist Deby Cassill about summer shark behavior.

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The Lendel family now faces massive medical bills without insurance as Leah begins her long journey of physical therapy to regain function in her hand.

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[{"selector":"#anim-433792a2-db8e-48f0-b364-fdbc2de21cc5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9247152e-35d2-45cb-bb19-40fc6b1ec769","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4c263b40-53d5-411a-a859-d5dc94b33291","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c0425d76-cf0e-4ca0-a272-bf6b759553bd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-355edaf0-ac3a-4eda-9903-77d59895574d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] A tiny possum thought to be extinct in NSW for over 100 years has been rediscovered in Kosciuszko National Park. Learn more