Boca Grande, United States - June 11, 2025 A 9-year-old girl named Leah Lendel was snorkeling with her family when a shark suddenly bit down on her right hand, nearly tearing it off at the wrist. Bodycam footage shows medics surrounding Leah, reassuring her she was “very strong” and “brave” as they prepared to take her to an ambulance. Her mother, Nadia Lendel, was seen in tears describing the attack. Nadia said she saw her daughter’s hand hanging with blood everywhere and immediately screamed for help while trying to hold her two toddlers in the water. Leah’s father, who was swimming farther away, rushed to assist and helped bring her to shore. Good Samaritans wrapped her hand in a tourniquet to control the bleeding. A nearby worker described hearing screams for help and seeing the shark near the family. The worker applied a towel to stop the bleeding and called emergency services. Leah was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa where she underwent six hours of surgery. Doctors managed to save her hand. By Friday morning, Leah was able to move all of her fingers. Her mother called this recovery “truly a miracle.”