Rick Patrick
Reporter3@riverbendnews.org
What was supposed to be a fun afternoon of enjoying the Florida sun near Keaton Beach, in Taylor County, turned tragic when a juvenile was attacked and bitten by a shark. According to a press release from Captain Gina Deeson, from the Taylor County Sheriff's Office (TCSO), on Thursday, June 30, deputies from the TCSO, along with Taylor County Fire and Rescue and Century Ambulance Emergency Medical Services (EMS), responded to Keaton Beach to provide emergency assistance to a juvenile who had sustained a shark bite. According to the release, family members of the Bethea stated they had been scalloping near Grassy Island, in waters that were approximately five feet deep, when Bethea was bitten by an undetermined type of shark. The shark was described as being approximately nine feet long. Bethea attempted to fight off the attack by poking the shark in the eyes and punching it, but the shark would not loosen its grip. The brother of the juvenile, who is a first responder/firefighter, was stated to have jumped into the water and beat the shark until the juvenile was freed. The juvenile's brother was able to apply a tourniquet on her leg to minimize blood loss, which is credited for ultimately saving the juvenile's life. The bitten juvenile was airlifted to a Tallahassee hospital with serious injuries. The juvenile, identified as Addison Bethea, 17, of Perry, has been in Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare since the incident. She underwent surgery to rebuild blood vessels to restore blood flow to her severely damaged lower leg. This enabled doctors to keep her lower leg alive. However, due to the damage inflicted on Bethea's right leg, it was determined that an amputation just above the right knee was necessary. “This is the best-case scenario for Addison and the best option to get her back to the most normal life possible, said Bethea's mother, Michelle, of Satellite Beach, Fla. was scheduled to have the surgery performed on Tuesday, July 5. It is expected that after the surgery, Bethea will have the ability to use a prosthesis for her lower leg. Bethea will likely have a long road of recovery and extensive rehabilitation ahead, but she remains upbeat and positive, her family says. She even has plans to return to the ocean, once she heals. The TCSO reminds boaters and swimmers to take caution and be alert and vigilant while in the water, especially while scalloping. Some rules to follow are: never swim alone, never enter the water near fishermen, avoid areas such as sandbars (these are areas where sharks tend to congregate), do not swim near large schools of fish and avoid erratic movements while in the water. According to information from the University of Florida, this was the first shark attack in Taylor County waters since records began to be kept, in 1882.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help with her mounting medical expenses. The fundraiser has the title, “Medical Expenses for Addison Bethea Shark Attack.” For more information on Bethea's progress, please visit TMH.org.