15 year old Annabelle Carlson is now back in the US recovering from a Shark attack that happened in Belize, while she was out snorkeling near Half Moon Caye on Tuesday August 6th. US news outlets report that the teenager lost her leg in the attack.
According to reports, Carlson had taken off her scuba gear and jumped back into the water when the shark attacked her. We have since learned that the group was swimming in an area populated by Caribbean reef sharks, and according to Kirah Forman Castillo, from MAR Alliance who we spoke to last week, it is currently mating season for the shark - which can create a frenzy in the waters.
A GoFundMe has been set up in the US to assist Carlson and her family with medical bills.
A family member has made a post there saying they had just finished diving Lighthouse Reef and Annabelle jumped in the water for a quick swim. They add, quote, "The moment she hit the water, a 6 ft long reef shark attacked her. She fought bravely for a few moments and with the help of the other divers and crew on the boat, we were able to get her back onboard...we were able to air lift her to Ryder Trauma Center at Miami Jackson Hospital, where was assessed and assigned specialists for her care. Last night, Annabelle endured an additional surgery to repair the damage to both of her hands and is recovering in the pediatric ICU with Bill and I by her side. Thankfully, the doctors think she will have full use of her hands once they have healed!" end quote.
Carlson is a sophomore at Aspen High School in Colorado and plays lacrosse and Basketball.
