A woman was hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after suffering a bite from marine life—possibly a barracuda—while swimming in waist-deep water near the pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, according to Pompano Beach Fire Rescue.
Witnesses say the woman emerged from the ocean screaming, with blood pouring from her left arm. Beachgoers quickly responded to her cries for help.
“I was sitting in my chair and she just started screaming,” said Diana Behrman. “She was holding her left arm and bleeding pretty profusely.”
Jayden Vann, who had just been swimming nearby, said, “Something told me to come out, and two minutes later, she was yelling for help. I was the first to pull her out.”
Bystanders, including a man named Besnik, jumped into action, using towels to apply pressure and makeshift tourniquets until emergency crews arrived.
“She had a chunk missing from her forearm,” Vann added.
Fire rescue officials confirmed the woman had non-life-threatening injuries and was conscious throughout the ordeal. She was treated at the scene and then transported to Broward Health North.
Her identity has not been released, and the exact species responsible for the bite remains unconfirmed.
Despite the alarming incident, officials say she is expected to recover.
