A 15-year-old Colorado teenager, Annabelle Carlson, lost her leg in a shark attack while diving with her family and tour guide to Lighthouse Reef in the Gulf of Honduras, near Belize. Despite having completed 20 dives, Carlson was attacked by the shark, which bit her hands and began attacking her. Her mother, Kellie Carlson, realized the severity of the situation when she saw the shark attacking her.
The traumatic event lasted only 30 seconds, but for Annabelle, it felt longer and more helpless. Her leg was missing from her knee to her ankle, and her tibia and fibula were the only soft tissue left. To distract the sharks, scuba tanks were thrown into the water, allowing Annabelle to be brought to safety. The species of the attacking sharks remains unidentified. Since the incident, Annabelle has undergone seven surgeries and had her leg amputated. The incident highlights the dangers of shark attacks and the importance of safety measures in such situations.
