Paige Winter/Facebook/ABC12The father of a teenager who survived being bitten by a shark in North Carolina has claimed to have punched the predator in the face five times.
17-year-old Paige Winter was attacked by the shark while swimming at Fort Macon State Park, suffering ‘deep lacerations to her leg, pelvic and hand areas’.
The hospital where she was treated has since revealed how her ‘heroic father’ saved her life, while her grandmother has claimed he ‘punched the shark in the face five times before it let go’.
As reported by ABC12, Atlantic Beach EMS arrived at the scene and treated the teenager after officials were alerted to a report of a person who had been bitten by a shark.
Fortunately, Paige has survived the attack and is said to be ‘in good condition and receiving excellent care’ after being airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.
Vidant Medical Center has since released the following statement about her condition:
Vidant Health can confirm that Paige Winter is at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C. recovering from a shark attack that occurred at approximately 12:20 pm on June 2, 2019 at Fort Macon.
She is in good condition and receiving excellent care. Her family expresses their appreciation for the first responders, the individuals on the beach who helped and her heroic father who saved her life.
Despite this unfortunate circumstance, Paige is an unwavering advocate for the marine life and the animals who live in the water. She wishes for people to continue to respect sharks in their environment and their safety.
PixabayPaige’s grandmother Janet Winter has posted updates about her granddaughter on Facebook, praising her son for apparently fighting back against the shark:
Many prayers needed our 17 year old granddaughter Paige Winter was attacked by a shark today. In surgery now will lose one leg above the knee and some fingers. […]
Thank God our son was with her he said he punched the shark in the face 5 times before it let go. Wish we could be with them.
She later added:
Surgery over she is still alive one leg gone. May need a hand transplant in the future and several on the other. Please keep her in your prayers.
Janet Winter/FacebookOur thoughts are with Paige Winter as she continues to recover from the attack.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.