Over the weekend, two teenagers were injured, one of them critically, in a shark attack in Florida. If it were not for the heroic efforts of some bystanders who were both at the beach and in the water, the tragedy could have been much worse than it already was.
Rick Karle of Rick Karle Good News posted a story to his Facebook page honoring the heroes who saved lives in Seacrest Beach.
Dr. Ryan Forbess of Orange Beach Family Medicine and Dr. Moh Ali ran to the scene and immediately started giving medical attention as a man dragged one of the teenage girls out of the water, according to Karle.
“What took place was a group of doctors, nurses, lifeguards, paramedics, fire department officials and yes, everyday folks like us working in concert to save lives,” Karle said.
15-year-old Lulu Gribbin of Mountain Brook, Alabama lost a hand and a leg in the attack, but her life was saved in large part due to the heroic efforts of Matthew Lidle, who ran into the attack zone to pull Gribbin out of the later.
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“Without giving it a second thought, Matt ran into the huge amount of blood in the ocean and carried her to shore putting his life in great danger. I can’t express how much admiration I have for him. I absolutely know God put us there for a reason and it was Matt’s selfless sacrifice to help save her,” his wife Rachel posted on her personal Facebook.
According to Karle’s report, 16-year-old McCray Faust survived after suffering shark bites to a lower extremity.
But a tragic situation that could have been much worse was helped by common, everyday people simply working together to help one another.
“It looked like a trauma unit at work, except it was happening on a beach,” said Orange Beach Family Medicine employee Shari Woody.
“It had to be a God thing. All of those people being in the exact place where they were needed was a miracle,” she said.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
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