Tabatha Sullivent was one of several shark attack victims on Fourth of July weekend near South Padre Island. She talks to FOX Weather from the hospital as she continues her recovery after losing her entire calf.
A Texas woman who lost part of her leg in a shark attack on July 4th weekend said she didn’t see the toothy predator coming toward her until it was too late.
On July 4, four swimmers were attacked by sharks on South Padre Island in Texas. Four other shark attacks occurred in Florida over the same holiday weekend.
Tabatha Sullivent, one of the four Texas shark bite victims, lost part of her calf during the attack. Her husband was also bitten by the shark while attempting to pull her from the water.
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Nearly three weeks after the attack, Sullivent spoke to FOX Weather from her Texas hospital bed, where she continues to recover. Doctors completed another skin graft last week on her leg. She’s also lost sensation in the bottom of her foot and much of the mobility in that leg.
“We’ll check it on Wednesday and see how the skin graft is taking and hopefully move from there because I’m ready to get up. I’m ready to start walking,” she said.
Experts recommend staying out of murky water and avoiding wearing shiny jewelry to prevent confusing sharks.
Sullivent said on the day of her attack, the water was clear in shallow areas but murky the further out you went into the ocean.
Shark bite survivor Tabatha Sullivent and her husband, who was also bit trying to pull her from the water.
(Sullivent family)
“I think it’s best for everybody to just keep in mind if you can’t see through the water, you maybe shouldn’t be in it. Stay a little shallower,” she said.
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Sullivent told FOX Weather she didn’t see the shark coming. She and some of her group were on a sandbar when the encounter happened.
“I was with a couple of the teenagers that were in our group, and I saw a look on one of their faces and turned around, and then saw something in the water that was gray,” she described.
By the time she realized what was happening, she went to kick the shark away but realized she couldn’t use her leg. Her husband received several bites on his knee, calf and foot trying to get Sullivent out of the water.
“I was just screaming for help and pushing myself with my other leg and swimming with my arms to get back to shore,” she said.
Despite the attack and her recovery, Sullivent said she plans to go back into the ocean.
“We’ll just probably stay a little shallower,” she said.