US EditionYoung Florida Shark Attack Victim Returns to Beach to Help with Healing Process: "She's Fearless"
Leah Lendel is still rebuilding strength as therapists help her recover after surgeons reattached her hand, her mother said.
- On Friday, nine-year-old Leah Lendel returned to Boca Grande beach ten months after a shark nearly severed her hand while snorkeling, describing the visit as part of her healing process.
- First responders and nearby construction workers rushed to save Leah on June 12, 2025, when surgeons successfully reattached her hand despite initial fears of 100% amputation.
- Leah continues physical therapy to regain wrist strength, though she cannot lift more than eight pounds and struggles to play piano. "And I can't pick up more than eight pounds. But me and my therapist are working for me to get my wrist strength back," she said.
- Despite the trauma, Leah describes herself as fearless and often forgets the attack occurred. "I would tell them that it's really rare that sharks even attack a person," Leah said, "and I would recommend not swimming in murky water."
- Mother Nadia Lendel explained the family visits Boca Grande often at Leah's request to remember what happened. "We have her, you know, she's alive," Nadia Lendel said, framing the beach as a place of survival rather than fear.
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Girl who survived brutal Florida shark attack returns to waters where it happened: 'She's fearless' – Democratic Accent
A young girl who survived a shark attack in Florida returned to the beach as part of the healing process. The shark attack took place on June 12, 2025, off Boca Grande, which is on the state’s southwest coast near Fort Myers. Leah Lendel was 9 when she was bitten during a snorkeling trip with her family. The bite nearly severed her hand off. “It’s kind of like healing for me to come over here, because seeing this happen to me and sometimes I eve…
Girl who survived brutal Florida shark attack returns to waters where it happened: 'She's fearless'
Leah Lendel, a 9-year-old girl who survived a shark attack off Boca Grande, Florida, returned to the beach as part of her healing after surgeons reattached her hand.
Girl who survived shark attack off Boca Grande returns to beach as her recovery continues - WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
BOCA GRANDE, Fla. (WBBH) — Leah Lendel, who survived a shark attack off Boca Grande nearly a year ago, has returned to the site as part of her healing process. “It’s kind of like healing for me to come over here, because seeing this happen to me and sometimes I even forget I got a shark bite,” Lendel said. Leah was nine years old when a shark nearly tore off her arm while snorkeling off the coast of Boca Grande. Despite the traumatic experience,…
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