Last week, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma named Damiana Humphrey had a harrowing encounter with a shark while vacationing with her family near Galveston, Texas. As she recounted to FOX26 Houston, Damiana was swimming in waist-deep water with her siblings when the terrifying incident occurred.
“While I was turning, a shark grabbed a hold of my hand,” Damiana explained. “I looked down and there was a shark attached to my hand, so I guess I started punching it. That part is kind of blurry to me.” In a moment of panic and sheer instinct, Damiana fought back. Eventually, the shark released her, and she, along with her siblings, made a frantic dash to the shore.
Although the exact details of the attack remain hazy for Damiana, her siblings estimated that the shark was between four to five feet long. The type of shark involved in the attack is still unknown. After the attack, Damiana was rushed to a hospital where she was treated for four severed tendons in her hand and subsequently underwent surgery.
Despite the severity of the injuries, Damiana remains optimistic about her recovery. She mentioned that with physical therapy, she is expected to regain full use of her hand. “Honestly, I’m just glad it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” she remarked, reflecting on her narrow escape.
Galveston Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis highlighted that shark bites are relatively rare in the area. According to him, most incidents involve sharks mistaking humans for prey and quickly releasing them once they realize their mistake.
In a related incident, lifeguards in Del Mar, California, closed beaches to swimming and surfing following a shark attack on a 46-year-old man. The attack occurred around 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, about 100 yards offshore from the Beach Safety Center at 17th Street. The man, who was swimming with a group of about a dozen ocean swimmers, sustained significant injuries to his torso, left arm, and hand.
Authorities reported that the victim was taken to a hospital in La Jolla and that his injuries, while serious, were not life-threatening. “My understanding is that the patient is stable; he was in the OR last I heard, so we’re very happy and feel fortunate that he’s doing well,” Del Mar Lifeguard Chief Jon Edelbrock told FOX 5 San Diego.
