A 13-year-old girl is recovering after being bitten by a barracuda while doing handstands in shallow water during a birthday vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Claire Macdonel, of Sugar Land, Texas, was in about four feet of water on July 19th when a barracuda struck her left hand, causing severe injuries that required emergency treatment on island and reconstructive surgery after she returned home.
The incident happened on the first full day of a family trip celebrating Claire’s birthday.
Claire said that she was doing handstands in the water when the fish suddenly bit her hand. The attack caused heavy bleeding and severely lacerated four tendons, a ligament and a nerve.
An off-duty nurse who was at the beach rushed to help and fashioned a makeshift tourniquet to control the bleeding while the family waited for emergency responders.
Claire was taken to hospital, where medical staff spent about five hours treating the injury. Much of the procedure focused on thoroughly cleaning the wounds to reduce the risk of infection.
She later returned to the Houston area without developing an infection and began preparing for specialized surgery to repair the damaged tendons and other structures in her hand.
In an interview with ABC news, Claire spoke about how she felt during the incident.
Claire and her family believe the barracuda may have been attracted to the reflection from shiny jewelry she was wearing. Barracudas are known to investigate flashes and reflections that can resemble the scales of small prey fish.
The encounter highlights the potential risks of wearing shiny objects while swimming in waters inhabited by barracudas, although attacks on humans are considered rare.
In an interview with FOX 26 Houston, Claire and her mother spoke about how rare these things are, and you must still enjoy your time.
Claire later nicknamed the fish “Suzie” and has used her experience to warn other swimmers about wearing reflective jewelry in the ocean.
Despite the severity of the attack, Claire said the experience has not diminished her love of the sea. She remains interested in marine life and still hopes to become a marine biologist.
We wish you a speedy recovery Claire!
Listen to the story below:
