17-Year-Old Girl Fends Off Shark in Florida

It sounds like a nightmare: a 17-year-old girl named Caitlin Taylor was swimming at Destin Beach, Florida, when she was suddenly attacked by a five-foot-long shark. The shark bit her leg, causing deep wounds, but Taylor didn’t hesitate. She fought back, punching the shark in its face, which made it retreat and swim away.

According to local police reports, Taylor was swimming in waist-deep water when she saw a creature approaching her. Initially, she thought it was a dolphin. It was only when she felt the painful bite on her leg that she realized it was a shark and began to fight it off. As mentioned, she turned and struck the shark until it released her. "It bit her leg and just lifted her in the water," her mother, who witnessed the incident, recounted. "But then Caitlin fought it off."

Aggressive shark attacks are rare in this beach area: authorities note that Taylor’s encounter was only the third since 1982. The species of the shark remains unidentified; after Taylor punched it, it disappeared without a trace.

Taylor needed eighty stitches for her leg, but there’s no doubt she’s lucky. Police stated her injury is 'relatively minor,' and she is expected to make a full recovery.