HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman is recovering in South Florida after suffering a shark bite in the Bahamas.
Thirty-four-year-old Maggie Ewing said she travels often from Massachusetts to the Bahamas. She’s an avid spearfisher and is in love with the clear waters of the Caribbean.
“It’s a spot we’ve been to hundreds of times. I think anyone who dives or spearfishes knows there’s an inherent risk,” said Ewing at a press conference. “It’s definitely a risk that I would take again.”
However, things took a turn for the worse when a shark bit her left hand on Sunday.
“I actually turned around to see if any sharks were coming before going up, and I felt the pain instantly and turned around and a shark had come over this shoulder, sorta latched onto my hand,” Ewing said, referring to her left side. “I think he let go pretty quickly, probably felt the spear. I know sharks aren’t really going for me. He was totally going for the fish.”
Ewing was airlifted from the island chain to receive treatment at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been as terrified in my life, and I thought she was going to bleed out,” said Jaron Dorfman, Ewing’s boyfriend. “She was turning pale, and I was losing it.”
Hospital officials said a shark tooth had to be removed from her hand.
“If you can imagine multiple rows of shark teeth pulling through the dorsal part of her fingers,” said Dr. Yin Kan Hwee.
She’s currently in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
Ewing said spearfishing is definitely still on her agenda in the future.
“It’s one of my favorite things to do. I mean it happened, I’ll deal with it, and I’ll get back in the water,” she said.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.