When faced with a circumstance that poses a threat to one’s life, having an agile mind is advantageous. The fact that this young guy fortunately possesses it allowed him to save her sister from the jaws of a near-death experience.
On June 30, a 17-year-old girl named Addison Bethea was scalloping on Florida’s Keaton Beach when a surprise visitor joined her.
“And the next thing I know, something is grabbing hold of my leg, and I think that’s not right. The kid told Good Morning America, “And then I look and it’s a huge old shark.
Fortunately, Addison’s knowledge of shark attacks sprang to mind because of an Animal Planet broadcast. She was fastened in a position where she couldn’t grab the shark’s nose, even though she understood she should do so in the event of an attack.
The courageous adolescent fought the shark in spite of her helpless predicament. She attempted to remove her legs with just her bare hands.
Rhett Willingham, Addison’s elder brother, leaped into the lake to save her as soon as the water turned red.
She came back up, and Rhett recalled seeing “like, the blood and everything, and I saw the shark.”
“So after that, I dove over, grabbed her, and shoved them all in an effort to break them apart. He simply kept coming. I grabbed her, kicked him as I swam backward, and cried for assistance,” he said, trying to describe what he had done at that critical time.
Rhett, 22, a firefighter and emergency medical technician for Taylor County, is fortunate to be prepared for emergency scenarios. He thrashed and kicked the shark mercilessly to save his sister, and when it eventually let go of Addison, he grabbed her and threw her on a passing stranger’s boat.
The quick-thinking brother then used the rope from the boat to make a 4-foot tourniquet, which he tied around his sister’s right upper thigh to stop the bleeding.
After that, Addison was evacuated to the closest hospital, where her condition was labeled as “critical.”
The 17-year-old shark attack victim required urgent surgery due to the seriousness of her wounds.
According to Addison’s father, Shane Bethea, “the shark attacked her right leg, and the front quad muscle was completely destroyed.” “It was a terrible, terrible wound. The vein from the left leg was converted into an artery by the vascular surgeon so that blood could flow to the right leg.
Despite what had transpired, they were nonetheless grateful she had lived through that terrifying time when a shark, which they said was a “bull shark” and was at least 9 feet long, attacked her.
Just four days after locals reported seeing sharks loitering around the same place, a shark attacked Addison. It also followed attacks that took place a short time later in California and the Florida Keys, respectively.
Authorities issued a warning to swimmers and scallopers in the region following the Addison instance to remain aware and cautious.
If you’re interested in Addison’s current condition, you may look her up on Shane Bethea’s Facebook page. And for anyone who wish to help them with medical costs, feel free to submit a check to the Buckeye Community Federal Credit Union, 1825 S. Jefferson St., Perry, Florida 32348 with “Addison Bethea” in the note.
