A teenager went through a harrowing experience that changed her life forever. Addison Bethea went diving near Florida beach with her brother Rhett Willingham to collect scallops. The seventeen-year-old girl had always been adventurous and loved exploring the ocean. However, little did she know that this dive would become a nightmare.
Addison was attacked by a nine-foot shark from below. This life-threatening attack has resulted in Addison losing part of her leg. The brave girl wrote about the shark attack in detail on an emotional Facebook post. Addison’s story is not one of mishap but of resilience.
Addison Bethea Surviving a Shark Attack
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In the Facebook post, Addison said she was confident of her safety with her brother. The twenty-two-year-old Rhett had always been her protector, and she trusted him implicitly. They were done collecting scallops and were swimming back to the surface when Addison felt something tug at her from below.
She did not realize anything was wrong at first. She thought her brother was playing a prank on her, although he was swimming ahead of her. Somehow she swam to the surface and now, with a clear mind, realized what was happening to her. A shark had latched onto her thigh and was refusing to let go. Before the shark pulled her underwater again, Addison screamed for her brother.
In that terrible situation, Addison remembered the lessons she learned from the popular show Shark Week. She meant to hit the nose but could not reach its mouth. Addison tried to pry her leg out of the beast’s jaws but failed. She then scratched the gills and eyes of the shark, which worked only momentarily. Her fearless brother Rhett came to her rescue and fought off the shark.
A stranger rescued them, and Rhett noticed Addison’s right thigh was gone, and that she was losing too much blood. The stranger fashioned a tourniquet out of a rope to stop the bleeding. The teenager was in and out of consciousness. She remembers the EMT and the flight medic asking her a few questions. Glad to have been tended to by the best doctors and nursing staff, Addison thanked everyone on the post.
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Addison Bethea’s Story Leaves Readers In Tears
Addison has undergone reconstruction amputation and believes she is ready for her new life. She wrote, “Today is going to be a good day”. Users have shared the post over four hundred times and given it more than 4.2K likes. Addison’s positive outlook on life has earned praise from many. Her post has left many readers teary-eyed.
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Meanwhile, controversy rages about the safety of beaches and the responsibility of local authorities to protect swimmers from shark attacks. Regardless of the ongoing debate, Addison’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the ability to overcome adversity.
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