Florida, May 17: A casual swim turned horrific for a teenager who was bitten by a shark last week at a Florida state park in St. Lucie County. The 13-year-old teen Ella Reed is recovering from bites to her torso, arm, finger and knee.

New York Post reported that Reed was sitting in shallow water with her friend near a jetty at Fort Pierce Beach when she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her side. “The shark itself was so powerful. That was what I felt the most because it was hitting my stomach really hard,” she said. Shark Attack in Hawaii: Surfer in Honolulu in Serious Condition After Bitten by Ocean Predator in Leg.

Reed recalled her ordeal about her encounter with what she believes was a bull shark left her with 19 stitches and a new outlook on life. “I remember just breathing really heavily, and then when it latched onto my stomach, not being able to breathe at all, because I was just like, ‘What the heck is happening?’” Ella recalled.

She then cried out for her mom and brother who were at the beach with her. Scuba Diver Narrowly Escapes Shark Attack, Video of Close Encounter With Ocean Predator Will Give You Chills.

She said she first tried to push the shark away while yelling at a nearby friend for help, but after the shark returned, she had no choice but to fight back.

“It bit me in the stomach first. And right as it bit me in the stomach, I shoved my arm where it was biting me so it didn't get my stomach and it got my arm instead. Then I hit it with my other hand, like hit its nose or its face," Reed said.

The teen was transported off the beach in a golf cart before her mother drover her to hospital.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2023 11:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).