Annabelle Carlson, a 16-year-old, shared her harrowing experience after surviving an attack by oceanic predators.
Speaking with Nexstar’s KDVR, Annabelle, from Aspen, recounted the terrifying incident that happened during a family vacation in Belize over a year ago.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she said, “I would never anticipate I would be attacked by a shark, but here I am. We really loved to travel as a family, and that was like our big, fun vacation of the summer.”
During their trip, on the third day, Annabelle and her mother were scuba diving 120 feet underwater when they observed ‘three or four sharks’ and ‘some really cool fish.’
After resurfacing, Annabelle decided to join her siblings in jumping off the top deck of the tourist boat, leading to an unexpected and dangerous situation.
“I decided to go first. When I jumped and hit the water, a shark came from under the boat and started biting my hands,” she recounted, coming ‘face-to-face’ with the predators.
Thanks to her quick thinking, Annabelle managed to fend off the shark by punching it around six times.
“The other dive group was still in the water as this was happening and they threw me a life ring,” she said. “My hands were pretty mangled so I couldn’t really grab it but I did a loop with my arms. And as they were pulling me in, another shark came and bit my right leg.”
As she fought to survive, those on the boat tried to help by throwing heavy oxygen tanks at the sharks to deter them.
“And that’s when we realised that the boat itself, the first aid kit, didn’t actually have the right medical equipment for life-saving measures,” she recounted. “So this guy — who I’m so thankful for — that was a tourist in our dive group threw me a tourniquet that he had. They put that on my leg to stop the bleeding.”
Staying conscious was crucial for Annabelle’s survival as the boat made its way back to shore, taking 90 minutes where an emergency helicopter awaited to transport her to the hospital.
“The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life was stay awake,” Annabelle said. “Because at that point I didn’t really realise that my falling asleep would mean falling unconscious and possibly not making it out.”
Despite the severe injuries that resulted in a rare mycobacterial infection leading to the loss of part of her right leg, Annabelle has shown incredible resilience.
Dr Julia Sanders from Children’s Hospital Colorado, where Annabelle received treatment, noted: “We’ve had to take her back for multiple surgeries because of that infection. And so that has just set her back again and again.”
Yet, Annabelle has not let this define her. Dr Sanders added, “She is already back running on a prosthetic limb, working out. She does pilates. She’s just an incredible kid. She’s been back scuba diving. So really just a reminder of how resilient kids can be.”