Shark Attacks Girl in Texas: Teen Survives, Recounts 'Bleeding' and 'Crying' (VIDEO)
A shark attacked a 14-year-old girl when she decided to head into the waters of Galveston Island, which is right off the coast of Texas. The teen, Mikaela Medina, survived the bite to her back, but fortunately, a doctor was on hand to treat her.
The shark that attacked Medina was initially hidden by the amount of seaweed and other obstructions in the West Beach Waters. Though none of her family that was vacationing along with her wanted to take a dip, the teen decided to go swimming anyway.
"I was by myself because no one else wanted to come in," she told KHOU of the incident. "The water was real murky, a lot of seaweed."
Once she was about waist-deep in the water, Medina knelt down. It was then that the young girl felt a bump, but because she didn't at first feel any pain, she couldn't be sure— although later she would admit she thought it "could be a shark."
The shark had used its serrated teeth to bite into Mikaela's back, leaving a large red bite mark complete with many puncture holes. The 14-year-old couldn't see the mark, though, but once she reached the shore, her mother was able to confirm her fears.
"She's the one who told me I had gotten bit," the girl told KHOU news. "After she told me I was bleeding I started crying."
Mikaela's mother, Maria Amezaga, said she was at first "in denial" that it could be a bite, but after examining the wound she took her daughter to a doctor that happened to be staying with the family on their vacation. The physician was able to treat the young girl on the spot with no stitches required.
Mikaela realizes how lucky she was to survive the rare incident. 15 sharks have attacked off the coast of Galveston in the last century, though only one of them resulted in death, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
"It's really crazy," she said. "I didn't think that could ever happen and it could've been a lot worse."
