Doctors say the wound is consistent with a shark bite. Photo: Instagram/shark_bite_sophia
According to KTLA News, an 18-year-old woman may have been bitten by a shark on Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles.
“There is a good chance that Sophia was hit by a small shark that was hunting in the shallow waters off Sunset Beach,” Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, Raab’s surgeon, told KTLA.
Sophia Raab was surfing at the crowded spot at about 2 p.m. when the incident happened. After falling off her board, Raab suddenly felt a sharp, searing pain. When she got a look at what happened, she was shocked. “I was standing up looking down at my leg and it was peeled open. I could see the inside of my leg,” she told KTLA. “It was the goriest sight I’ve seen in my entire life.”
“I have no idea how it happened.”
The wound on her thigh was about 10 inches by 10 inches, and nearly 4 inches deep. Although LA County lifeguards in the area said there was no shark activity at the time, there has been a flurry of sightings off of the Southern California coastline. A few days earlier, a woman was bitten by a shark at San Onofre Beach, just a few hours south.
Raab has set up a Gofundme campaign to offset the cost of her hospital bills.
“I started surfing only a few years ago, but it wasn’t long before I was out there every day,” she wrote. “I know I’m lucky to not have lost my leg completely…or an arm, or serious organ, or my life, quite frankly. I’m in shock but also so grateful for the support of my loving friends and family. I’m determined to get back in the water—won’t be letting a baby shark stop me from doing what I love!”
