Teen survives shark attack in New Jersey
A New Jersey teenager is injured but optimistic after surviving a shark attack over the weekend.
Maggie Drozdowski, a 15-year-old dancer and surfer, was riding the waves in Stone Harbor, N.J. on Sunday afternoon with her friend Sarah O'Donnell, according to CBS News Philadelphia.
A big wave swept her off her board, she said, and that's when a shark grabbed her foot and yanked her underwater. She told CBS News Philadelphia that beneath the waves, she had to struggle to get free.
"I really shook it off as much as I could. It was hard though, it was heavy. But I shook my foot as hard as I could to get it off," Drozdowski said.
Even as she fought, she wasn't entirely sure what was happening, Drozdowski said.
"I was in shock and I didn't even realize what was going on until I was out of the water. But it scared me. I screamed under the water. It was scary," Drozdowski said.
O'Donnell was out on the water at the same time. She watched her friend go down, then surface terrified.
"But then she got up and she was screaming, 'Something bit me, something bit me,'" O'Donnell told CBS News Philadelphia. "So I said 'Quickly get on the board and paddle away,' because I thought it was a crab or something. I could never imagine a shark."
The teen was able to collect herself enough to get back to shore safely, though it took several minutes.
"It was hard and I didn't catch one wave on my way out either. It took me three or four minutes to fully get out of the water, and then I had to limp with the board in my hand all the way up across the sand to the beach to get across to (O'Donnell's) family," Drozdowski said.
According to CBS News Philadelphia, it turned out that the shark had bit Drozdowski's foot so hard that she required multiple stitches. CBS News Philadelphia reported that according to a 911 call made after the attack, the teenager was bleeding badly from the wound. The injury wound up being relatively minor, and Drozdowski is now using crutches.
"I thought I was going to have to get my foot amputated," Drozdowski said. "But it didn't end up being that bad. I think the wetsuit kind of saved me, because it protected my foot."
Stephen Nagiewicz, an adjunct professor of marine science at Stockton University told CBS News Philadelphia that Drozdowski did everything right by fighting against the shark.
"It could have gotten much worse. I mean, a shark bites something to eat then it will use its head and jaws to shake it, so it could break a piece free. So yes, by kicking and screaming and moving she saved her own life," Nagiewicz told CBS News Philadelphia. According to the International Shark Attack File, which is collected and maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have only been 15 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in New Jersey. The last one was in 2006.
In general, shark attacks are extremely rare.
A spokesperson for Stone Harbor told CBS News Philadelphia that the beach is not planning to restrict any beach activities, but "urges all beachgoers to exercise caution and adhere to any safety guidelines issued by local authorities."
Drozdowski told CBS News Philadelphia that she'll still be enjoying the beach this summer -- but she'll stay out of the water.
