When scalloping in shallow seas off the coast of Florida with her brother in June, Addison Bethea was enjoying her last summer before entering her senior year of high school when she was attacked by a shark, which amputated her leg.

The tenacious 18-year-old returned to the scene of the attack and went swimming there afterward. A year later, she walked the homecoming field at graduation with her prosthetic limb.

The recent graduate shared some unexpected and thrilling news with her fans as she concluded a senior year that was characterized by tragedy and numerous accomplishments!

Off the edge of Keaton Beach in northern Florida, Addison Bethea and her half-brother Rhett Willingham anchored their little boat in late June 2022.

When Addison felt something tug on her leg, the siblings were scalloping in the 6 foot deep muddy water.

In the BBC documentary Why Sharks Attack, the young woman recalled the incident and claimed to “vividly” recall the specifics.

Addison recalled, “When it latched on and [pulled] me under with my calf, I remember that,” adding that she had not experienced pain until she had attempted to free the creature’s powerful jaws from her leg. “Because it drew me under and I didn’t feel any pain or anything, I assumed it was Rhett. But when it started to slightly shake me, I realized it was something more. It began biting into my right leg while I was gouging its eye to pull it off of me, and as I was still inside its mouth, it began to swim away.

Addison wasn’t going to let the nearly 9-foot shark win the fight without a struggle. She had learned from her love of sharks to punch it in the nose or poke its eyes.

She was however overcome by the big beast.

She shouted when she realized she had no control over the situation, and Rhett, a fireman and emergency medical technician (EMT), quickly responded to her calls.

I screamed, and my brother was the one who heard me. I was actually grabbed beneath the water by the shark when he turned around,” she revealed. “I climbed back up and yelled for him. It’s almost like when you’re trying to scream in a dream but nothing seems to be coming out of your mouth. I sang as loudly as I could since that is how I felt at the time.

In the documentary, Rhett, 23, describes how he observed the shark struggling in the water while holding his sister in its teeth. When the shark eventually let Addison go after being repeatedly struck, he managed to get her into the boat.

Rhett added, “I heard Addison yell and when she surfaced I saw this tail just cutting back and forth. I grabbed her and began punching it off while holding her.

A nearby boater who overheard the situation jumped into action. They were met by rescue personnel as they were being taken to shore.

In a video from a police bodycam that was recently made public, Rhett is seen on the boat tightly hugging his sister as she lies on her side.

She lost most of her right leg to the shark.

He can be heard yelling, “Goddammit,” to the EMTs who have arrived on the scene. That is my F—ing sister. It was so big that I had to actually pry it off of her. The video clip demonstrates Addison’s helpless position on the boat as she gasps and then yells out inconsolably, “Help me.”

The calm big brother of the girl responds, “Addison, we’re not losing you. Observe me, Addison.

After being transported by helicopter to a hospital in Tallahassee, Addison underwent six surgeries in which her right thigh was largely repaired and her leg was amputated above the knee so she could use a prosthetic.

She was motivated to maintain her optimistic attitude as she spent the summer before her senior year in the hospital recovering. “My dad used to tell me in the hospital, ‘Today is going to be a good day,'” Addison said. Find one positive aspect of your day, even if it isn’t ideal, to keep you going. Just be glad.

At her high school’s homecoming event in the fall, Addison set herself the aim of learning to walk before moving on to walking independently.

She said that the fancy dress parade along the football field takes place during homecoming week. I’ve always loved participating in the parade, so I wanted to be able to do it one final time for my senior year.

The formerly athletic and active cheerleader claimed that her hobbies aided in her recovery. Only three months after the attack, Addison quickly adapted to using her prosthetic leg and started attending school again in September.

After being selected for her school’s homecoming court, Addison realized her dream of using her prosthetic limb on the football field.

“I was able to do it even though it was strange. In addition to cheering for her team in one final football game, Addison stated, “I walked on the field with my prosthetic perfectly normal, without crutches or anything.”

By crossing things off her list, Addison graduated from high school on her own in May 2023, and on July 1 she went swimming with her brother—whom she refers to as her “hero”—in the very same area where she was attacked.

“I felt entirely secure. It felt entirely natural. I wasn’t sad or anything because of it. I remained emotionless. It was simply going back to normal and getting back to business as usual.

Addison claimed she reached an unexpected milestone soon after graduating.

In December, she learned that she was pregnant and due to give birth to her first kid, who will be fathered by her high school sweetheart.

It was absolutely not anything I had planned, but as I’ve stated before, God has a mysterious way of doing things, Addison remarked. Perhaps it’s simply time for me to become a mother. I’m ecstatic…It’s absurd to be creating a brand-new life when mine was on the verge of extinction. That’s kind of crazy the way it operates.

In addition to planning to become a mother in the future, Addison is working to prevent fear of the water among others.

“When you’re in a place where there are sharks, you can’t just be upset at the water. They are skilled at what they do. What they want to consume is clear to them. You simply need to keep that in mind, she advised.

We are very excited to share the story of Addison Bethea since she is such a wonderful example of fortitude and tenacity. We are interested in learning more about her experiences as a mother and how she continues to motivate people.

Please spread the word about this amazing young woman and her story!

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