LIFE-OR-DEATH BATTLE
I punched a 6ft-long SHARK in the face after it mauled me – it felt like I was in Jaws
A WOMAN has described the moment she escaped the clutches of a lemon shark by punching the 6ft-long beast as it mauled her foot.
Heather West, 35, was swimming in Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, while her pals lingered on the shore nearby.
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Sharing her footage on TikTok, she described the moment when she "sensed" there may be something dangerous in the water.
"A voice in my head said ‘get out now’,” Heather said. "The second I was facing the beach I felt something grab me by my ankle.
“Even though just seconds before I saw all the guys on the beach, my brain still couldn’t comprehend what was happening and I thought one of them grabbed me to scare me.
"I remember thinking how strong they were, it felt like my ankle was in a vice grip and it was so strong… I just sat there waiting for it to let go.
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"As soon as that thought left my mind, I felt a massive jerk on my leg and immediately knew it was a shark that was dragging me.
Within seconds, the beast clamped onto her leg and began to drag her through the water.
Heather knew her only option was to retaliate as she bravely fronted the huge shark herself.
"As it was dragging me through the water, I knew I was on my own and I needed to fight back if I wanted any chance at surviving,” she said.
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"I flipped over on my back, with my leg still facing the opposite direction and started kicking at his face with my good leg.
"I had on flippers so I couldn’t get the propulsion I needed to give him a good smack in the face.
"I was so mad that I used him as leverage and sat up in the water, screaming ‘you motherf****r’ while punching down into the water at his face with both fists, and that’s when he decided to let go."
'IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN A JAW'S MOVIE'
Once free, Heather – who was unaware whether her foot was still intact - yelled to her friends for help.
“Blood was filling the water and I couldn’t see where he went,” she recalled.
"I felt like I was in a Jaws movie at that moment."
Heather's pals eventually dragged her by her arms to the beach as they began applying pressure to the wound.
"At this point I still thought my foot was gone, I looked down and saw it still attached and started screaming ‘I can’t believe I won!,” she said.
"I was really happy afterwards, I just felt so grateful to be alive.
"I wasn’t upset or crying at all, I just kept saying ‘wow, that was a wild ride!’”
The TikToker was taken to a nearby island before being put on a charter plane to a medical centre in Florida.
There she claimed she had to wait three and half hours for assistance and felt inclined to begin treating herself.
She has since been left with permanent damage from the incident, having received 18 stiches to her foot and ankle.
But despite the horrific ordeal, Heather decided to get back into the water just four weeks later.
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During her series of TikTok videos, which have since been seen by millions of users, she was previously asked if she would carry on swimming following the attack.
She responded: "Absolutely!! I’ll have different ground rules to feel comfortable but I’m definitely getting back in!!"
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