I was afraid I would have to have my foot amputated,” said 15-year-old Maggie Drozdowski.
Teenage survivor of New Jersey shark attack is from Pennsylvania.
According to CBS station KYW-TV, 15-year-old Maggie Drozdowski was bitten on Sunday while she was surfing in Stone Harbor with her friend Sarah O’Donnell.
The kid felt something pulling at her leg as she was hanging off her surfboard with her body submerged in the sea. She told ABC affiliate WPVI-TV, “I assumed it was just a crab pinching my foot, but it felt bigger than that.
“My whole foot was in its mouth,” she continued. “I was shaking my foot as hard as I possibly could.”
When Drozdowski was hauled under the water, her buddy told the media that she initially believed she was drowning. After that, “she came up and screamed again, ‘I think something bit me,’” the buddy remembered.
The adolescent claimed that the shark released its hold on her after approximately five seconds, at which point she got back on her surfboard and paddled for land.
“I immediately felt the pain in my foot and I looked at the back of my leg and there was a big chunk of skin missing from the back of my leg,” the woman told WPVI-TV.
She didn’t witness the incident, but according to Stone Harbour officials and marine wildlife specialists, her injuries certainly seem to be the result of a shark bite.
Around 3 p.m. local time, emergency services responded to a 911 call from 109th Street Beach, according to a press release posted on the Stone Harbor New Jersey website. The announcement stated that “Stone Harbor Police Department, Fire and Rescue Squads, promptly arrived at the scene to provide assistance.”
Prior to being sent to the hospital, Drozdowski got “immediate onsite medical treatment from Stone Harbor Fire/Rescue,” the press announcement stated.
The youngster eventually needed six stitches, but she told KYW-TV that at first she thought it would be much worse. She told the site, “I thought I was going to have to have my foot amputated.” “But in the end, it wasn’t that horrible. Since my foot was shielded by the wetsuit, I believe that saved me somewhat.
Drozdowski hasn’t let the tragedy stop her from doing what she loves, though she’ll take her time getting back in the water.
She told WPVI-TV, “I can’t imagine never going in the ocean again,” and added, “but probably not this summer.”
Because of the event, Stone Harbor officials stated in a press release that they do not intend to limit beach activities, although they did advise beachgoers to “exercise caution.” They claimed that the tragedy serves as a reminder of the dangers associated with activities involving water.
Beachgoers from near and far continue to adore and frequent Stone Harbor. According to Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour, the local police and fire departments are completely devoted to protecting the safety and welfare of both locals and visitors. “They are taking the necessary steps to fully assess the situation and update the public,” one person said.
