A North Texas woman is thankful to be alive after being one of four people injured during a terrifying shark encounter at South Padre Island on Thursday, July 4.
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While speaking to FOX 4, Tabatha Sullivent recalled the frightening situation. “I turned around and saw something dark in the water,” Sullivent explained. “And I thought it was a big fish, and I was going to kick it away. That’s when it grabbed me.”
Sullivent then said she thought the shark let go of her and she was able to start swimming to the beach with one leg and her arms. As she got closer to the shore, a group of fellow beachgoers were able to pull her out of the water.
“My husband had me first,” she said. “But then he dropped me because the shark was in a pursuit.”
The fish bit her left calf off. Sullivent said her leg was pretty much gone. “They flushed it today. It’s all the way to the bone. It did not go through the bone.”
Tabatha’s husband, Cary, put his life on the line to save her as the shark followed her. He is now recovering next to her, with bits on his left from fighting the fish.
“If my husband didn’t jump into action and everyone else on the beach. If I didn’t have people pulling me out — not just to pull me out but jumping between the shark and me — I don’t think it would’ve stopped,” Tabatha pointed out.
Tabatha added she can wiggle her toes a bit. However, the level of mobility still remains questionable. Her next surgery is scheduled for later this week.
A Witness Recalls Chaotic Shark Attack Scene South Padre Island’s Beach
Meanwhile, Kyle Jud, a witness to the Sullivent’s shark attack, recalled the chaotic scene followed by the near-deadly encounter.
“While they were treating her, they were trying to get a tourniquet to her,” Jud said. “While they were treating her, the shark was right there in the first gut. In probably knee-deep water.”
South Padre Island’s Fire Chief Jim Pigg previously revealed the incident is unusual for the area. “It’s unprecedented here on South Padre Island,” Chief Pigg told NBC News.
He also two separate shark bite incidents that occurred at different times and locations on the 4th of July holiday.
The first 911 call came in at 11 a.m. One of the first two victims had suffered from a severe shark bite and was taken to a nearby hospital. The other victim had only suffered from minor injuries and did not require emergency assistance.
Not long after, a second shark attack 911 was made. This time two individuals were bitten by a shark. They were both transported the the nearby hospital.