A Kentucky teen’s spring break took a turn for the worse when she was suddenly attacked by a shark.
According to Inside Edition, 17-year-old Caitlyn Taylor was in Destin with her high school softball team for a tournament when she was bitten on her leg in the Gulf of Mexico.
As the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Department later confirmed to the Courier-Journal, when the shark first chomped down on Caitlyn’s leg, she reacted quickly by bravely punching it, potentially saving her own life by herself.
According to authorities, the shark was about 5 feet long, but that did not deter Caitlyn from fighting back.
Authorities say the Atherton High School teen was swimming in waist-deep water in an area behind a condominium when the shark attacked around 3:39 p.m.
Although the shark attempted to grab Caitlyn, because she fought with all her might, it ended up turning her loose and swimming away.
“She was hitting it with her hand and then it released" its bite, Michele Nicholson, an Okaloosa County Sheriff spokesperson, said.
The courageous teen was rushed via ambulance to the Destin Emergency Room, where she received a whopping 80 stitches.
Fortunately for Caitlyn, the shark did not tear any major muscles or tendons during the attack.
"Beyond lucky to be alive and well and thank you to everyone for the support and wishes and I'm going to be okay, love you guys," Caitlyn captioned a photo of her injuries after she valiantly fought off the shark.
Her sister, Paige Taylor, also wrote on Twitter: "it was such a traumatizing event out there and I'm so lucky to still have my sister who is so strong and a such a fighter."
The teen’s friends also rallied around her on social media.
One commented: “glad that you are okay, but this is officially the most badass story anyone could ever have in their life.”
While authorities have praised Caitlyn’s bravery in the face of a violent shark, they still don’t know why it attacked her in the first place.
The Northwest Florida Daily news reported that Sunday’s incident is “only the fourth documented attack off Okaloosa County beaches since 1882.”
USA Today shared this unbelievable story on Facebook, where dozens of people commented on Caitlyn’s brave response to the shark attack.
“Thank God she was quick thinking and punched that shark ! Not today shark! Not today,” one woman commented.
“Get well soon! Be mindful folks summer beach season is upon us. Look out for the sea creatures and rip tides,” another commenter added.
“Yikes is right wow hope she is ok. Probably a little shook up a lot,” one woman wrote.
Although the water in the area where Caitlyn was swimming is pretty clear, authorities have still not been able to identify what type of shark attacked the teen.
