Brave Little Girl

[Snaggletiger]

6-Year-Old Lucy Mangum Forgives Shark That Attacked Her Off North Carolina Island

Published July 26, 2011
| FoxNews.com

 Lucy Mangum, 6, of Durham, N.C., survived a shark attack last week off Ocracoke Island. The girl, who reportedly underwent two surgeries, is expected to fully recover.
A 6-year-old North Carolina girl who had asked her parents if she was "going to die" after a shark ripped into her flesh last week said Tuesday she forgives the shark that did it.

Lucy Mangum, of Durham, N.C., who underwent two surgeries for severe injuries to her calf muscles and other tendons, said Tuesday she forgives the shark who attacked her July 19 off Ocracoke Island while she was playing on a boogie board, WRAL.com reports.

"He didn't really mean to do it," Lucy told the station in an interview.

Lucy, who is expected to make a full recovery, said she tried to swim away when she saw the shark coming toward her.

The shark grabbed her right leg and foot within seconds, leaving two deep bite marks that exposed her tendons and muscle, according to the station.

"I heard her scream, and I turned and immediately saw the shark," Jordan Mangum, Lucy's mother, told the station. "My instinct was to run over and get her out of the water."

The girl's parents said Lucy remained calm as they snatched her from the water and ran up the beach, but said she was asking questions like: "Am I going to die? Am I going to walk? Am I going to have a wheelchair?"

The girl's father, Craig Mangum, who is an emergency room physician, wrapped his daughter's leg in a T-shirt before emergency crews flew Lucy to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville.

Lucy's parents, who believe she was bitten by a blacktip shark, also said the girl asked them to say a prayer on the beach immediately after the attack.

"She said, 'Dad, can we say a prayer?'" Jordan Mangum told the station. "We said a prayer for her on the beach. Her faith and stoicism was a marvel to us."

The girl has a cast on her leg for now but is expected to fully recover, the station reports.



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/26/6-year-old-girl-forgives-shark-that-attacked-her-off-north-carolina-island/#ixzz1TEWvEYc1

[Snaggletiger]

On another note, I've taken 2 trips to teh beesh in the last month and seen 3 sharks.  Two were while fishing and the one last week was cruising the shore line.  We saw people walking down the beach towards us and it was exactly like 3-4 years ago when the same type thing happened.  A shark was leisurely swimming along about 15-20 yards off the beach.  A few years ago, it was a big bull shark.  Last week, it was about 4 feet at best.  The lifeguard grabbed his board and went out after it, trying to scare it away, which he eventually did. 

As much as I love the beach, it always helps to realize you're in their house..and there's a lot of them at home.

[AUTiger1]

As much as I love the beach, it always helps to realize you're in their house..and there's a lot of them at home.

Amazing how resilient kids are at times.  Even though she won't ever be the same it sounds like she is well on her way to recovery and bouncing back as much as she can in that situation.

As far as them being at home,




Tackleberry say no problem.

[Snaggletiger]

TACKLEBEEERRRRYYYYYY...