I began to feel lightheaded and weak. I wondered if it was from losing blood. I could see people clustered by the shoreline pointing toward us, but the water was empty.I just kept on swimming and didn’t think about the shark that was a few yards away.As I rose to my feet to climb out of the water, I felt a sharp pain in both legs and collapsed. Several men responded, supporting my arms with their shoulders and helping me sit down with my legs flat before me. I looked for the first time at my shins and feet, which were dripping with blood.People quickly gathered around. One woman, a nurse, put towels under my legs and propped up my feet with a boogie board that was turned on its side. Others guided my shoulders down to the sand. Lying flat on my back, I looked up at the blue sky and a forest of legs. Several people wrapped my legs in towels and scarves. A man pushed through the crowd, shouting, “I am a surgeon.” He directed the nurse to put pressure on my arteries with her thumbs. A man of about 40, kind and calm, sat by my left side and held my shoulder. He said”Everything is going to be fine,the ambulance will be here in 10 minutes.” All I could think about is if I was going to die because of the bleeding from my legs and the
I began to feel lightheaded and weak. I wondered if it was from losing blood. I could see people clustered by the shoreline pointing toward us, but the water was empty.I just kept on swimming and didn’t think about the shark that was a few yards away.As I rose to my feet to climb out of the water, I felt a sharp pain in both legs and collapsed. Several men responded, supporting my arms with their shoulders and helping me sit down with my legs flat before me. I looked for the first time at my shins and feet, which were dripping with blood.People quickly gathered around. One woman, a nurse, put towels under my legs and propped up my feet with a boogie board that was turned on its side. Others guided my shoulders down to the sand. Lying flat on my back, I looked up at the blue sky and a forest of legs. Several people wrapped my legs in towels and scarves. A man pushed through the crowd, shouting, “I am a surgeon.” He directed the nurse to put pressure on my arteries with her thumbs. A man of about 40, kind and calm, sat by my left side and held my shoulder. He said”Everything is going to be fine,the ambulance will be here in 10 minutes.” All I could think about is if I was going to die because of the bleeding from my legs and the