Australian Grandmother Patricia Trumbull Fights Off Deadly Shark Attack
Although her injuries are extensive and she lost some 40 percent of her blood, Trumbull is looking on the bright side.
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March 17, 2010
Patricia Trumbull was snorkeling on the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia when a five-foot long shark bit her rear end, media reports suggest.
The 60-year-old grandmother said that the moment she felt the bite she started hitting the big fish on its nose. '"[I was thinking] this shark's not going to get the better of me,' and I started punching it," she recalled, quoted by The Epoch Times.
Although her injuries are extensive and she lost some 40 percent of her blood, Trumbull is looking on the bright side. "I have to have a new remodeled bottom, so that's a positive," she said.
Though not as frequent as in Australia and New Zealand, shark attacks have also occurred in the U.S. In fact, data from the University of Florida suggest that between 1916 and 2008, a total of 100 people have been attacked by sharks, and 12 died, in American coastal waters.
Experts from the university's Museum of Natural History suggest that staying in groups, avoiding swimming after dark and far from the shore can minimize the risk of being attacked.
Moreover, individuals who are bleeding should refrain from entering waters where the predators might be present. The experts also recommend taking off shiny jewelry that sharks may mistake for fish scales. Similarly, excessive splashing can lead a shark to mistake a swimmer for an injured animal and attack.
Survivors may access valuable information that can help them thrive in the wake of a predator attack on the Trauma Resource Institute's website.
Patricia Trumbull was snorkeling on the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland, Australia when a five-foot long shark bit her rear end, media reports suggest.
The 60-year-old grandmother said that the moment she felt the bite she started hitting the big fish on its nose. '"[I was thinking] this shark's not going to get the better of me,' and I started punching it," she recalled, quoted by The Epoch Times.
Although her injuries are extensive and she lost some 40 percent of her blood, Trumbull is looking on the bright side. "I have to have a new remodeled bottom, so that's a positive," she said.
Though not as frequent as in Australia and New Zealand, shark attacks have also occurred in the U.S. In fact, data from the University of Florida suggest that between 1916 and 2008, a total of 100 people have been attacked by sharks, and 12 died, in American coastal waters.
Experts from the university's Museum of Natural History suggest that staying in groups, avoiding swimming after dark and far from the shore can minimize the risk of being attacked.
Moreover, individuals who are bleeding should refrain from entering waters where the predators might be present. The experts also recommend taking off shiny jewelry that sharks may mistake for fish scales. Similarly, excessive splashing can lead a shark to mistake a swimmer for an injured animal and attack.
Survivors may access valuable information that can help them thrive in the wake of a predator attack on the Trauma Resource Institute's website.
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