Shark attacks 9-year-old girl in Florida

Authorities in Florida responded quickly after a 9-year-old girl was bitten by a shark during a family snorkeling trip. Body camera footage captured the scene as emergency responders acted to save her life.

On June 12, 2025, Leah Rendell was enjoying a snorkeling excursion off Boca Grande, near Fort Myers, when she was attacked. The shark bite was severe, nearly severing her hand.

“Coming back here feels kind of therapeutic for me,” Leah explained. “Sometimes, I even forget that a shark bit me,” she shared with local news.

Though it’s been about ten months since the incident, the memory remains fresh for her. “I can still picture it, like, do you see that dark shape in the water? That’s where he was,” Leah recalled.

Witnesses were seen rushing to help, and she was airlifted for emergency surgery.

Surgeons managed to reattach her hand, and now, at 10 years old, Leah is focused on regaining her strength. “Right now, I can’t play the piano or lift over 8 pounds, but I’m working with my therapist to get my wrist back in shape,” she mentioned.

Her parents expressed immense pride in Leah’s resilience, admitting they had feared the worst—amputation seemed likely in the aftermath. “When you see something so serious, reality hits hard. You realize just how dire the situation is,” her mother, Nadia Rendell, reminisced.

Despite what happened, Leah has set her sights on obtaining a snorkeling license, something her mother finds both exciting and worrisome. “She’s fearless,” Nadia said, admiring her daughter’s bravery.

Leah also wanted to encourage others not to let fear dictate their actions, pointing out that shark attacks are quite rare. “If you stay away from murky water, you’ll be fine,” she advised.