HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A woman who was attacked by a shark this weekend in the Bahamas is recovering from surgery after doctors in South Florida said they were able to save her fingers.
Abaco Crash Fire Rescue Chief Colin Albury said 31-year-old Maggie Ewing was spearfishing just off Treasure Cay coast Sunday afternoon when she was bitten on the hand by a blacktip shark.
Doctors at Regional Memorial Hospital in Hollywood were optimistic about Ewing's recovery, but they are unsure how her range of motion will be affected by the injury. During the surgery, doctors removed a shark tooth from her hand. That tooth will be sent out for testing.
Ewing told rescuers she had just speared a hogfish underwater and was ascending back to a private boat when the blacktip shark attacked, shredding some of her fingers.
“When I arrived there she was lying on the floor with her hand elevated and trying to control the bleeding,” Albury said.
Ewing was flown from the Bahamas by Trinity Air Ambulance International to Fort Lauderdale, where she was then rushed to the emergency room in Hollywood.
Albury said Ewing is an experienced diver and fisherman, calling the incident an "unfortunate accident." He said Ewing lives in the Boston area and owns a vacation home in the Bahamas.
"It's just one of those things and it happened. It can happen at any time. We must learn to respect the sea when we’re in there," Albury said.