Shark Attack: Girl, 9, Loses Hand | Horrifying Rescue
- A young girl is recovering in a Florida hospital after a shark attack on Boca Grande Island.
- Leah Lendel's father, Jay Lendel, reported that first responders arrived within three minutes of the call.
- "When we saw the little girl coming out of the water without a hand, it was like something out of a horror movie," Tello said.
A harrowing shark attack on Boca Grande Island, Florida, left a 9-year-old girl injured, but the story offers a beacon of hope: doctors successfully reattached her hand. Emergency crews responded swiftly, and construction workers provided crucial aid. This incident is the first shark attack reported on the island in two decades. This report from News Directory 3 details the dramatic rescue and the extraordinary efforts of medical professionals who rebuilt the young girl’s hand wiht arteries and pins. Explore the details of her recovery and the community’s support. Discover what’s next …
Girl recovering after Florida shark attack
Updated June 20, 2025
A young girl is recovering in a Florida hospital after a shark attack on Boca Grande Island. The incident occurred near the 2200 block of Shore Lane, prompting a swift response from emergency crews, according to Fire Chief C.W. Blosser.
Leah Lendel’s father, Jay Lendel, reported that first responders arrived within three minutes of the call. Alfonso Tello, a construction worker nearby, told Gulf Coast News he witnessed what appeared to be an 8-foot shark in the water as he rushed to help.
“When we saw the little girl coming out of the water without a hand, it was like something out of a horror movie,” Tello said.
Leah was airlifted to a hospital where she underwent a six-hour emergency surgery. her mother, Nadia, told Gulf Coast News the following day that doctors successfully reconstructed Leah’s hand.
Nadia explained that surgeons used arteries from Leah’s leg to restore blood flow and inserted pins to stabilize the bones.”Some of the tissue is still open, but thank God, she can move her fingers,” she said.
Chief Blosser noted that this was the first reported shark bite on boca Grande Island in nearly 20 years.
Leah is continuing her recovery with the support of her family, a therapy dog named Belle, and a team of medical professionals.
When asked how she was handling the situation,Leah responded,”I don’t know.”
Dr.Alfred Hess, an orthopedic surgeon, described leah’s case as having “a great outcome.”
“They took arteries from her leg to restore blood flow,” Nadia explained. “They also inserted pins to stabilise the bones. Some of the tissue is still open, but thank God, she can move her fingers.”
Chief Blosser added that this was the first reported shark bite on Boca grande Island in nearly two decades.
Leah continues to recover in hospital with the help of her family, a therapy dog named Belle and a team of medical professionals who’ll help her regain full use of her hand.
Asked how she’s been able to handle everything so well, Leah replied shyly: “I don’t know.”
Dr. Alfred Hess, an orthopedic surgeon, said Leah’s case had “a great outcome.”
“A shark injury is both a blessing and a curse in this case,” he said. “The teeth are so sharp that the cut through the wrist is clean and not jagged, so it doesn’t ruin all the tissue and we have clean tissue to work with.”
He said he’s seen all kinds of animal-inflicted wounds in his 35 years of practice, including alligators, lions and sharks. Sharks’ mouths, he said, “are like a bunch of razor blades. They go through tissue.” Treating the wounds, he added, “is all about if you have something left to put back on.”
What’s next
Leah will continue to receive medical care and therapy to regain full use of her hand. The community is rallying around her and her family during this challenging time.