Mass. Woman Who Survived Shark Attack Plans To Spearfish Again
BOSTON (CBS) - A Massachusetts woman is recovering after nearly losing her hand in a shark attack.
Maggie Ewing, 31, of Kingston is overwhelmed with the attention, but happy to still have her hand intact after a spearfishing trip with her boyfriend in the Bahamas turned into an emergency.
"It's a spot we've been to hundreds of times," Maggie said.
Maggie speared a hogfish which then swam into a cave.
"So I reached around with my other hand and pulled this way. I actually turned around to see if any sharks were coming before going up, and I felt the pain instantly," Maggie said. "And turned around and a shark had come over to this shoulder and had sort of latched onto my hand."
The black-tipped shark, which are usually about five feet long, let go quickly and Maggie swam as fast as she could back to the boat.
"I just sort of was laying on the deck of the boat attempting to stop the bleeding, really dizzy and uncomfortable," she said.
Maggie's boyfriend and a friend helped get her to medical treatment and she was then flown to a hospital in Florida. Her index, middle and ring fingers were badly damaged. A shark tooth was found on one of her fingers.
The surgeons say Maggie should regain full use of her hand and she is already planning a trip back to the Bahamas -- to spearfish again.
"I think anyone who dives or spearfishes knows there's an inherent risk," Maggie said. "It's definitely a risk that I would take again; it's one of my favorite things to do."
Maggie says she does not blame the shark. She knows you're not supposed to put your hand near the fish once you spear it, because the blood attracts sharks.