Teenager Jessica Riley was surfing alone at Flagler Beach, Florida, USA when she was attacked by what is believed to be 9 foot Bull shark. She narrowly escaped injury when the shark took a huge bite out of her board.
She told Florida’s WFTV that she was lying on her board and heard a splash. She said something told her to raise her right hand out of the water just before the shark came up underneath the board, emerged from the water and bit into the board about half way down its length.
“The whole thing was like out of Jaws,” she said, “where you see the eyeballs and then they turn white and the teeth they were, like, crooked.”
“As soon as it bit the board I fell in onto the shark,” she said.
“The shark started to thrash and then I heard a popping sound and I thought ‘Oh no have a I lost a leg or an arm’?”
She realised later the popping sound was the chunk of board breaking off in the shark’s mouth.
She said it was crazy. There were so many thoughts going through her mind.
“I started to kick and kneed the shark right under its mouth. My finger found its eyeball and it went in. And as soon as I realised it was his eyeball, I shoved it in more.”
She said the shark released the board, but caught her leash as it swam off pulling her under. She undid the ankle strap, swam to the surface, scrambled back onto her board and paddled for shore.
She said she called for help, but no one heard.
She told Florida’s WFTV that she was lying on her board and heard a splash. She said something told her to raise her right hand out of the water just before the shark came up underneath the board, emerged from the water and bit into the board about half way down its length.
“The whole thing was like out of Jaws,” she said, “where you see the eyeballs and then they turn white and the teeth they were, like, crooked.”
“As soon as it bit the board I fell in onto the shark,” she said.
“The shark started to thrash and then I heard a popping sound and I thought ‘Oh no have a I lost a leg or an arm’?”
She realised later the popping sound was the chunk of board breaking off in the shark’s mouth.
She said it was crazy. There were so many thoughts going through her mind.
“I started to kick and kneed the shark right under its mouth. My finger found its eyeball and it went in. And as soon as I realised it was his eyeball, I shoved it in more.”
She said the shark released the board, but caught her leash as it swam off pulling her under. She undid the ankle strap, swam to the surface, scrambled back onto her board and paddled for shore.
She said she called for help, but no one heard.
She collected her things from the beach put her board in her truck and drove to a friend’s house. They called 911. When they came round they didn’t believe her story until they saw her board.
She said at the time of the report - three days after the attack - she had had very little sleep because she had been having nightmares about the attack.
Jessie believes someone was looking out for her as has a cross on her board and was wearing a cross that day which she doesn’t normally do.
“Someone told me to lift my arm out the water just before the shark emerged and bit the board.”
Sources:
WFTV
“Someone told me to lift my arm out the water just before the shark emerged and bit the board.”
Sources:
WFTV
The raw video interview is good.
