After fending off a vicious shark attack that required 19 stitches, 13-year-old Ella Reed, who has a passion for marine biology, is displaying incredible strength and bravery.
On a stunning Florida beach in Fort Pierce, Ella and her classmate were swimming lazily when the incident took place.
In an interview with Today, Ella reminisced about the terrifying encounter and described in great detail how terrified and shocked she was. “I recall that as soon as the shark’s fangs sunk into my stomach, my breathing became difficult, and I felt as though I was about to suffocate.
She remembered that I was unable to breathe at all and was utterly baffled by the situation.
According to Ella, the shark, who she believes to be a bull shark, started off by attacking her abdomen. She instinctively thrust her arm in the shark’s face, forcing it to concentrate on her limb rather than her vital organs because she was going to fight back. By doing this, I convinced it to focus on my arm rather than my stomach.
Sadly, the shark bit into my arm instead, Ella said. In an attempt to scare the shark away, I desperately struck its face or nose with my other hand.
Today reported that Ella used all of her strength and fortitude to fend off the relentless predator. She emphasized the impromptu nature of her actions by saying, “I was doing everything within my power to get the shark off of me. ”.
You lose all sense of reason when you’re in a situation like that, Ella said. Even though I tried to defend myself by striking it wherever I could, I didn’t even purposely aim for its nose.
Devin Reed, Ella’s mother, acknowledged that it took her a while to come to terms with the incident when Ella first told her about it. The scars on Ella’s body weren’t visible to her until they were seen on FaceTime, which brought reality home.
She seemed to be joking at first, I thought. But when she showed me her wounds on video, I froze and felt helpless,” Devin said. She went on, “Ella’s first thought was to make sure her friend was safe rather than calling for help right away. She was genuinely saving people.
After Ella and her mother were reunited, Ella was immediately taken to a nearby fire station and then hurried to the hospital’s emergency room. Devin clarified that this decision was made to make sure Ella received the most effective and expedient medical care possible.
Devin explained her reasoning, “I felt it would be the fastest way to get her into the hands of skilled professionals who could provide the necessary care. ”.
Due to the terrifying experience, Ella required five stitches for injuries to her body and an additional 14 for injuries to her leg. Because of the upsetting experience, she had trouble falling asleep.
However, in his interview with Today, Devin did mention Ella’s strong desire to return to the sea.
Her experience will serve as a platform for her determination to inform and spread awareness. Devin bragged, “Ella is sure that because she faced such hardship, she ought to tell others about her experience.
Ella’s unwavering commitment to overcoming her fears and turning a terrifying situation into a teaching moment is admirable.