13-year-old Ella Reed, who is passionate about marine biology, is exhibiting incredible strength and bravery after surviving a vicious shark attack that required 19 stitches.
Ella and her classmate were swimming lazily on a beautiful Florida beach in Fort Pierce when the incident occurred.
In a conversation with Today, Ella recalled the terrifying encounter and elaborated on how terrified and shocked she felt. My breathing became challenging and I felt like I was about to suffocate as soon as the shark’s fangs sunk into my stomach, I recall.
She recalled that I couldn’t breathe at all and was completely perplexed by the situation.
Ella claims the shark, who she believes to be a bull shark, began by biting her abdomen. She instinctively shoved her arm into the shark’s face, telling it to focus on her limb instead of her vital organs because she was going to fight back. I got it to look at my arm instead of my stomach by doing this.
Ella said, “Unfortunately, the shark bit into my arm instead. I slammed my other hand against the shark’s face or nose, desperately trying to scare it away.
According to Today, Ella fought off the relentless predator with all of her strength and courage. She emphasized the spontaneous nature of her actions by stating, “I was doing everything within my power to get the shark off of me”.
When you’re in a situation like that, Ella said, you lose all sense of reason. I didn’t even aim for its nose, just tried to defend myself by hitting it wherever I could.
Ella Reed’s mother, Devin Reed, admitted that it took her some time to process the incident after Ella first told her about it. Before Ella saw the scars on her body on FaceTime, which brought reality home, she was unaware of them.
At first, I assumed she was making fun of me. But when she showed me the video of her injuries, I froze and felt helpless,” Devin recalled. “Ella’s first concern was to make sure her friend was safe rather than immediately calling for assistance,” she continued. She was genuinely rescuing people.
Ella was immediately taken to a nearby fire station after Ella and her mother were reunited, and then she was hurried to the hospital’s emergency room. Devin explained that this choice was made to guarantee Ella received the best and fastest medical care possible.
Devin explained her thinking, saying, “I felt it would be the quickest way to get her into the hands of skilled professionals who could provide the necessary care”.
Ella needed five stitches for injuries to her body and an additional fourteen for injuries to her leg as a result of the terrifying experience. She found it difficult to get to sleep after the distressing event.
Devin did, however, bring up Ella’s strong desire to go back to the sea in his interview with Today.
Her experience will provide a platform for her resolve to educate and raise awareness. Devin boasted, “Ella is certain that since she endured such hardship, she should share her experience with others.
It’s admirable how determined Ella was to face her fears and use a terrifying situation as a learning opportunity.
