Ella Reed, a 13-year-old girl with a keen interest in marine biology, is exhibiting incredible fortitude and bravery after battling off a vicious shark attack that required a total of 19 stitches.
The incident happened as Ella and her classmate were leisurely swimming on a beautiful beach in Fort Pierce, Florida.
In an interview with Today, Ella recalled the horrifying meeting and recounted in great detail her enormous terror and disbelief. “I remember that when the shark’s fangs dug into my stomach, my breathing became labored, and I immediately felt suffocated.
She recalled that I could not breathe at all and was extremely confused by the circumstances.
Ella said the shark, which she thinks is a bull shark, attacked her abdomen first. She reflexively thrust her arm in the shark’s direction, causing it to focus on her limb rather than her vital organs since she was determined to defend herself. I got it to look at my arm instead of my tummy by doing so.
Ella said, “Unfortunately, the shark clamped onto my arm instead. I desperately whacked the shark’s nose or face with my other hand to scare it away.
According to a report from Today, Ella used all of her power and resiliency to repel the unrelenting predator. She emphasized the spontaneous nature of her actions by saying, “I was doing everything within my power to get the shark off of me.”
“When you find yourself in such a situation, rational thinking goes out the window,” Ella continued. I didn’t even intentionally aim for its nose; I only tried to defend myself by hitting it wherever I could.
Ella’s mother, Devin Reed, acknowledged that when Ella first told her about the incident, she initially found it challenging to accept it. Reality didn’t set in until she noticed the scars on Ella’s body during a FaceTime session.
I initially believed she was joking. But when she revealed her injuries to me on video, I froze and felt helpless,” Devin said. “Ella’s first thought was to make sure her friend was safe rather than calling for help right away,” she continued. She was genuinely rescuing people.
Ella was immediately escorted to a local fire station before being rushed to the medical room once the mother and daughter reunited. Devin clarified that this choice was made to guarantee Ella had the quickest and best medical care available.
Devin explained her reasoning, “I believed 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 14 for injuries to her leg due to the terrifying experience. She struggled to sleep soundly as a result of the distressing event.
Devin did, however, mention that Ella had a great will to get back to the sea in his interview with Today.
She is determined to educate and raise awareness using her experience as a platform. Ella is confident that she should share her experience with others because she went through such adversity,” boasted Devin.
Ella’s unwavering dedication to facing her anxieties and using a terrifying situation as a learning opportunity is admirable.
