VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A girl who is recovering from a shark bite in Volusia County over the weekend shared what happened with WKMG-TV.
Riley Breihan, 11, was bit while swimming at WinterHaven Park in Ponce Inlet Sunday.
She said she was boogie boarding when she stood up in water that was just about knee deep and felt something attach to her leg.
"At first I wasn't thinking about pain, I was thinking I got bit by a shark and I have to go to the emergency room. Then I felt the sting and it hurt real bad," Breihan said.
That's when a couple of strangers nearby jumped in to help out.
"They wrapped me up in their towel, they carried me and put me in the back of their jeep," said Breihan.
When the sixth grader got to the hospital, doctors could see she had been bitten twice, in her lower leg and heel. They also found a little surprise -- a baby shark tooth still in her skin.
"They had to numb me and they had to prick it out," said Breihan.
The young victim gets to hold on to the tooth, a reminder of what happened and just how lucky she is. As for the water, Breihan said it'll be awhile before she goes back in.
"I don't think I would go back in the water just because I'm going to wait," Breihan said.
The 11-year-old is using crutches to get around, but is expected to be okay.
So far in Volusia County there has been at least two shark attacks. In 2012, there were eight attacks and in 2011 there were six.