Magnolia Woodhead, a 12-year-old girl from Springfield, Delaware County, survived a shark bite during a family trip to Florida in the last week of June. Woodhead was swimming at Cocoa Beach when the shark bit her thigh. She needed 50 stitches. The attack is one of several that have been reported at Central Florida beaches in recent weeks.
friend helped save her life. here s abc s jacqueline lee. reporter: tonight, iowa native heidi earnst is recovering after nearly losing her life from a shark attack in the bahamas. the 73-year-old airlifted to a miami hospital had injuries so severe her leg was amputated. i didn t even see him approach me. he came from below and it was just like a truck hit me. it was just like a scene out of a horror movie. reporter: ernst, an experienced scuba diver, had just finished her dive in grand bahama last week and was climbing up the boat ladder. the shark attacked and grabbed me by the leg. reporter: heidi then striking the shark in an effort to get it to open its jaw, and crediting her friend for his quick thinking. i could have easily bled to death had it not been for my friend who put the tourniquet on my leg. reporter: closer to home, last month, 15-year-old maggie drozdowski bitten by what is believed to be a shark while surfing in stone harbor, new jersey, receiving six