Claire Macdonel, 13, saw blood everywhere after being bitten by a barracuda in Turks and Caicos, saying the moment felt like a horror movie.
Claire and her family traveled from Sugar Land, Texas, to Turks and Caicos to celebrate her birthday in July.
During their first day, Claire was wearing a shiny bracelet when she executed an underwater handstand around four or five feet deep in shallow water, and during the handstand, she “felt a lot of pressure” for a few seconds.
“[It felt like] if your hand got stuck inside something’s mouth,” she told Fox 26. “I just felt a big bite and then when I moved my hand, it just went away. I looked behind me and saw a big silver tail.”
Once she was upright, she looked down at her arm and “saw blood everywhere,” with blood “running through my whole arm, and it was just like a horror movie.”
“I was very scared. I was just anxious, like I was crying the whole time,” the teenager recalled.
Claire’s mother, Jen, was in the ocean with her and took her to the shore, where a stranger who was a nurse offered her medical assistance.
“She stepped in and said, ‘I’m a nurse. Can I please help?’ And I said, ‘Yes, please.’ So I stepped back, and she made a tourniquet and helped stop the bleeding while we waited for the ambulance to arrive,” Jen told KHOU 11.
The mother faced frightening moments in the ambulance.
“Initially, I thought she was going to bleed out. I’ve never seen that much blood and I couldn’t get it to stop even with the tourniquet when we were in the ambulance. It was still just bleeding and then, of course, my second thought was she was going to lose her hand. Then, once we were in the hospital, the orthopedic surgeon said his number one concern was to stabilize her and reduce the risk of infection,” said Jen Macdonel.
Claire spent several hours in the local emergency room and was given a loose suture, then was discharged and resumed the family vacation.
The teen remains determined despite her injuries.
“Just because one bite happened, it doesn’t change that I love animals and want to study them,” Claire told KHOU 11. “Even though something bad happened, you’ve got to keep going with your dreams.”
“She’s an inspiration to all of us. If you fall, you get right back up,” Jen told KHOU 11, adding that Claire named the barracuda Suzie. “She’s like, ‘I’m not mad at the ocean. I’m a little mad at Suzie, but we’ll get over it.'”
Claire is eager to share safety lessons.
“Be careful because there’s a risk. Take off all your jewelry before you go into the water and enjoy your time with your family because you never know what could happen,” said Claire.
“Claire wanted to tell her story because she wanted to help and make sure everyone is aware these things can happen. It’s rare to not be afraid just to educate,” said Jen.
In the viral moment catching attention across news outlets, a birthday vacation turned into a frantic emergency response when Claire felt the barracuda’s teeth pierce her hand. The shiny bracelet likely attracted the fish, which is known to be drawn to reflective objects. As blood poured from the wound, a good Samaritan who happened to be a nurse stepped in with crucial aid, applying a tourniquet right there on the beach. Claire was rushed to the hospital, where doctors prioritized stabilizing her condition and preventing infection over immediate surgical repair.
After treatment and a loose suture, Claire and her family were able to continue their vacation, a testament to both the girl’s resilience and the initial effectiveness of the emergency care. Now back in Houston, she awaits the tendon repair surgery that will complete her recovery from the rare attack.
Claire is expected to undergo tendon repair surgery Wednesday.