NBC 5 learned that two of Thursday’s shark attack victims were from North Texas — a Celina couple vacationing with family and friends. From her hospital bed, the woman who nearly lost her leg described the terrifying encounter. Allie Spillyards has the story.
A day at the beach devolved into disaster on South Padre Island.
Video showed Tabatha Sullivent pulled from the water with part of her leg missing as the shark that attacked her circled nearby.
"I can't imagine that I actually had a shark attack. It's kind of crazy," Sullivent told NBC News.
Sullivent, who's from Celina, was one of four people who officials say encountered the same 6-foot-long shark on July 4.
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"I just thought it was a big fish, so I went to kick it away. And at that point, that's when it bit me. And had I not pulled my legs up, it probably would've got my torso or something else,” she said.
On a GoFundMe page set up for Tabatha Sullivent and her husband, Cary Sullivent, she posted an update from her hospital bed:
"I lost my left calf. I have movement in my toes and circulation in my foot. I probably won't have full mobility when I'm put back together and will not have the same leg I had before. But, I'm alive."
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Her husband, Cary, who helped fight the shark off, also received bites but has been released.
"That shark wasn't in more than waist-deep water,” said Kyle Jud.
Jud was also visiting Padre from North Texas. He was one of several beach-goers who crowded around Sullivent trying to help.
“The whole time that was happening, the shark was just circling right there in the front. I mean, we could just see as plain as day the big shark with the tail and the dorsal fin were hanging out of the water, and it was just circling there as she was being taken away,” he said.
Jud praised the quick actions of first responders.
Sullivent credits her husband for saving her life.
“He fought off a shark for me. That's pretty impressive,” she said.
She now waits to see just how long her road to recovery will be.
"I'm thankful for all of the support, and I'm alive,” said Sullivant.
Officials say Thursday’s shark attacks were the first in the area in five years.
