07/29/2023 Natalie Branda Pinellas County Florida

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FL Woman Bitten By Shark In Tampa Bay Near St. Pete Pier
A Florida woman was bitten by what was possibly an adult bull shark while swimming in Tampa Bay Saturday night.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A woman was bitten by a shark Saturday evening while swimming in Tampa Bay not far from the St. Pete Pier.

The attack happened around 8 p.m. about two or three miles from the pier, Fox 13 reported.

Natalie Branda was on a sailboat in the bay celebrating the birthday of her friend, Allie Mucks, when she was bitten, her friend wrote in a GoFundMe fundraiser for her medical bills.

“Thankfully, all wounds were superficial but she did need some pretty extensive stitches in multiple places throughout her upper legs and torso,” Mucks wrote. “She will go back in two weeks to get the stitches removed but will most likely be out of work for longer. We aren’t sure if she will have medical bills to cover in addition to regular expenses like rent, groceries, care for her pup, etc.”

As of Wednesday morning, more than $1,800 of the $10,000 goal was raised.

After the attack, Branda sent pictures of her bite “to a professional,” she wrote in a public post on her Facebook page.

“They deducted it down to probably being an adult bull shark just trying to investigate what I was in the water,” she wrote. “I am extremely lucky as bull sharks tend to be more aggressive. I somehow met the calmest bull shark ever to exist.”

Dr. Gavin Naylor with the Florida Program for Shark Research told Fox 13 that based on the bite, she was bitten by a large shark.

"It's not very common that people experience that and walk away with just some stitches," he said.

Now, Branda is “in recovery mode,” she wrote on Facebook, adding, “I am laying low and recovering at home which unfortunately means I will be out of work for a bit.”

All funds raised go directly to her for medical bills and expenses while she’s out of work.

“If you know Natalie, you know that she is the most thoughtful (and toughest) person," Mucks wrote on GoFundMe. "All donations (and social media shares of this fundraiser) are greatly appreciated, no matter the size!”

https://patch.com/