When confronted with a life-threatening circumstance, it is advantageous to have quick thinking skills. Fortunately, this young man possesses it;
He was able to save her sister from a near-death experience because of this.
A 17-year-old named Addison Bethea was scalloping on the Florida shore of Keaton Beach on June 30 when she was joined by an unexpected guest.
The next thing I know, something clinging to my leg, and I thought, “That’s not right.” The teen told Good Morning America, “And then I look and it’s a big old shark.”
Thankfully, an Animal Planet episode brought Addison’s understanding of shark attacks back to her mind.
In the event of an attack, she knew she needed to punch the shark in the nose, but she was stuck in a position where she couldn’t reach it.
The brave teen continued to fight the shark in spite of her hopeless situation. She tried to remove her legs with only her hands.
Rhett Willingham, Addison’s older brother, jumped into the water as soon as it turned red to save her. Rhett stated, “I saw the shark and she came back up and I saw, like, the blood and everything.”
I then swam over there, grabbed her, and tried to push them all apart by swimming over there. And he didn’t stop coming.
As a result, he added, “I grabbed her, swam backward, kicked him, and then yelled for help.” He was attempting to explain what he did at that crucial time.
Rhett, 22, is a Taylor County firefighter and emergency medical technician, so he is well-prepared for emergencies. He beat and kicked the shark incessantly in an effort to save his sister.
When the shark gave up on Addison, he grabbed her right away and put her on a stranger’s boat that was nearby at the time.
Using the boat’s rope, the quick-thinking brother made a four-foot tourniquet and wrapped it around his sister’s right upper leg to stop the bleeding.
After that, Addison was airlifted to the nearest hospital, where her condition was listed as “critical.” The shark attack victim, then 17 years old, required emergency surgery due to the severity of her injuries.
Shane Bethea, Addison’s father, stated, “The shark attacked her right leg, and the front quad muscle was completely destroyed.” A nasty, nasty wound, it was devastating.
The vascular surgeon transformed the vein from the left leg into an artery so that blood could flow to the right leg.
“They were still thankful that she survived that terrifying moment when she was attacked by a shark they believed to be a “bull shark” that was at least 9 feet long!
Four days after locals saw sharks lurking in the same area, Addison was attacked by a shark. Additionally, it occurred just a few days after another attack in California and another in the Florida Keys.
The case of Addison prompted authorities to issue a warning to both scallopers and swimmers in the region to remain on high alert and vigilant.
If you want to know how Addison is doing, you can check his Facebook account.
Additionally, if anyone wishes to assist them with their medical expenses, they can send a check to the Buckeye Community Federal Credit Union, 1825 S. Jefferson St., Perry, Florida, 32348, with the reference “Addison Bethea” in the memo.
