Texas shark attack victim breaks down the moment she kicked at beast after mistaking it for a 'huge fish' as she reveals the extent of her injuries

A mom who sewage her calf torn disconnected by a shark astatine a Texas beach connected July 4th has spoken retired astir nan terrifying experience, saying she first thought nan predator was conscionable a 'huge fish.'

Tabatha Sullivent was successful nan water on South Padre Island with her girl and hubby erstwhile nan shark began hunting them.

She said they were retired past a soil barroom erstwhile nan shark followed her to shallow h2o and attacked her.

'I turned around, and each I saw was thing grey successful nan water. So, I conscionable kicked astatine it, because I thought it was a immense fish, and it was coming astatine us. That's erstwhile I deliberation it grabbed my leg,' Sullivent told CBS News Texas from her infirmary bed. 

The bull shark - a animal pinch 1 of nan strongest bites successful nan animal kingdom  sank its teeth into her little limb pinch nary volition of letting go.

Sullivent said her hubby valiant fought disconnected nan beast, jumping into nan h2o and grabbing her. 

In nan process, he was bitten doubly arsenic well. 

Beachgoers pulled her retired of nan water, and first responders were soon connected nan segment tending to her gaping wound. 

'If my hubby didn't jump into action and everyone other connected nan beach, if I didn't person group pulling maine retired - not conscionable to propulsion maine retired but jumping betwixt nan shark and maine - I don't deliberation it would've stopped,' she said. 

A full of 4 group encountered nan shark successful nan water, according to first reports. The Sullivents were spot and while 2 others escaped pinch insignificant injuries. 

Social media footage of nan onslaught shows Sullivent laying connected nan soil while a dorsal fin tin beryllium seen swimming backmost and distant adjacent nan shoreline.

Blood from her coiled tin beryllium seen turning nan h2o a acheronian red, while first responders wrap a tourniquet astir her leg.

'My limb is beautiful overmuch gone,' she told FOX Dallas-Fort Worth astir a time aft nan attack. 

'They flushed it retired today. It's each nan measurement to nan bone. It did not spell done nan bone.' 

Sullivent will request aggregate reconstructive surgeries, but doctors are optimistic that she'll beryllium capable to support her limb and locomotion again.

'I person activity successful my toes and successful my ankle. My bony building is good. I'm going to astir apt request beingness therapy for sure,' Sullivent said. 

The North Texas mates were celebrating their girl Skylar's 15th day connected nan time of nan attack, and their 16th wedding day was expected to beryllium nan time after.

The Sullivents didn't expect to walk their typical time successful a infirmary room together, but they're happy to beryllium live and together.

'Somebody aliases thing was decidedly looking complete america for sure,' Sullivent said.

Their girl Skylar posted an update connected her parents' information soon aft nan attack.

'My mom is trying to get arsenic overmuch remainder arsenic she tin and fig retired nan roadworthy ahead. Recovery will beryllium a agelong process but I cognize she will get done it,' Skylar wrote connected Facebook.

A GoFundMe page was group up precocious to thief money nan couple's betterment and has already raised astir $25,000, quickly closing successful connected its $30,000 goal. 

Given nan clear threat nan shark posed to anyone frequenting beaches successful nan area, section officials were keen connected dealing pinch nan predator correct away.

South Padre Island and Cameron County Parks officials located nan shark, harnessed it and moved it backmost retired into deeper waters truthful it won't beryllium an ongoing threat to beachgoers, KFDX-TV reported.

Helicopter footage released by nan Texas Department of Public Safety shows officials flying straight complete nan shark arsenic it swims done shallow waters correct aft nan attack.

The animal was not harmed aliases physically injured complete nan people of this cognition to get it backmost retired to sea, according to Captain Dowdy from Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Dowdy said nan 'unusual' onslaught was apt caused by upwind changes from incoming Hurricane Beryl, which will onslaught nan Texas coastline sometime Monday arsenic a Category 1 hurricane, according to nan National Hurricane Center.

Immediately aft nan attack, Texas Parks and Wildlife released a connection telling beachgoers that authorities were operating nan formation by land, by vessel and by air.

The metropolis besides considered closing nan formation wholly to nan public. 

In March, a 14-foot awesome achromatic shark was spotted adjacent South Padre Island, according to section power station KNFM.

But fixed that officials are reasonably assured that nan culprit successful nan astir caller attacks was a bull shark, it's apt that awesome achromatic wasn't involved. 

This comes after two teenagers and a female were attacked by a shark early past month in Walton Beach, Florida.

According to nan Walton County Sheriff's Office, 45-year-old Elisabeth Foley was spot by nan marine animal successful nan h2o adjacent Watersound Way and Coopersmith Lane astatine astir 1:15pm. 

She sustained 'significant trauma to nan midsection and pelvic area and amputation of her near little arm,' according to South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford.

At astir 3pm, officials responded to calls of different shark onslaught connected 2 female teenagers, 15 and 17 years aged that occurred 4 miles distant from nan first attack.

The teens were later identified as Lulu Gribbin, who mislaid a manus and a leg, and McCray Faust, who suffered injuries to her foot.

All 3 of nan victims, who were visiting nan area from different states, were attacked while they were swimming adjacent nan sandbar.