TALLAHASSEE – Addison Bethea faces an extended battle forward after she was bitten by a shark off Keaton Beach on the state’s Gulf coast.
“I’ve always been told that something will happen just like that, that was definitely this situation,” the 17-year-old stated from her hospital room days after the assault.
Bethea, who’s from Perry, began final Thursday on the water similar to many others forward of Independence Day.
“We were scalloping for about two hours and we went to the last spot, obviously for only like 15 minutes, and we were going towards the boat and I felt like a tug,” she stated.
The tug of a roughly nine-foot-long shark, coming seemingly out of nowhere.
“I tried to push it off of me and punch it in its nose, but it was at like a weird position where I couldn’t punch his nose good. Then it tried to drag me underwater because we were in like six feet of water,” stated Bethea.
Her brother, Rhett Willingham, was almost eight ft away from her when the shark connected itself to her thigh.
“I heard her almost yelp and I stood up to turn around and see what was going on because it sounded like something scared her and she was under the water and then she came back up and there was blood all around her and I saw the shark,” stated Willingham.
Willingham, a firefighter, helped her battle it off. But then got here the following battle, to avoid wasting her life. He pulled his sister into one other boat, utilized a tourniquet to her leg to stem the blood loss, and rushed her again to land as quick as attainable
After combating off the shark, Willingham pulled his sister into one other boat, utilized a tourniquet to her leg to stem the blood loss, and rushed her again to land as quick as attainable
Three days later, from Bethea’s room at Tallahassee Memorial, their mom, Michelle Murphy, known as him a real hero.
“My daughter, by medical standards, should not be alive right now and I know that. It’s a miracle she survived this and I know if Rhett hadn’t been the one that was with her when it happened we may be in a very different scenario right now,” stated Murphy.
The teen is scheduled to have her leg amputated above her knee on Tuesday.
Bethea’s story shortly unfold throughout the nation and he or she stated that the assist from individuals throughout has helped her by means of this course of.
“It’s just insane because I’ve seen other people go through things and need support and thought it’d ever be me. Now that I’m going through it, it’s just crazy,” she stated.
But essentially the most significant bond is at dwelling with her older brother.
“We’ve always been close, like since forever, so this somehow brought us even more close. He’s always been by my side and I’ve always looked up to him,” stated Bethea.
Despite the challenges forward, her love of being out on the water stays.
“Don’t be scared of the ocean. I had so many people comment on my Instagram saying, ‘I’m so scared of the ocean now’. But I’m still going to get in the ocean when I heal and get better. I’m still going to do what I love, don’t just let fear overtake your life,” she stated.
