A Shark Bit This Young Woman's Arm—and Wouldn't Let Go

Hello, worst fear.

shark attack

When you hear "shark attack," you probably envision a Great White and a blood-stained ocean. (Jaws, still not over you.) But one Florida woman had a less cinematic, though pretty dang dramatic, shark encounter in Boca Raton over the weekend.

A two-foot nurse shark latched onto the 23-year-old beachgoer's forearm as she was swimming just off the shore, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. And the little guy held on like hell: The shark was still attached to her as paramedics drove her to the hospital (and by that point, the ocean-dweller was dead)!

RELATED: This Girl Got Scalped on an Amusement Park Ride (Warning: Graphic Pics)

Why was the fish so feisty? Nurse sharks typically don't bite humans unless provoked, and a witness told the Sun Sentinel that another group of swimmers was messing with the shark by holding onto its tail. Not cool. 


Thankfully, the woman is in stable condition, and more good news: Shark strikes are really, really, really rare. You have a one in 11.5 million chance of experiencing one, according to ocean-advocacy nonprofit Oceana

Still, it wouldn't hurt to learn some shark smarts. Ensure you stay safe this summer with these expert tips for avoiding an attack

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