OCEAN CITY, Md. — A 12-year-old Pennsylvania girl suffered injuries after a suspected shark attack in Maryland that left her with 42 stitches for 20 cuts, family members said.
Jordan Prushinski and her family, of Luzerne County, told WBRE-TV that they were on vacation Monday at the beach in Ocean City when Jordan went into knee-deep water. She was swimming with her family when she limped out of the water bleeding from the leg.
“I didn’t really realize what was going on until I was on the beach and I was bleeding everywhere,” Jordan told the station.
Her mother, Melissa Prushinski, said other beachgoers, including an EMT and a nurse, helped give Jordan first aid.
With the help of a lifeguard, they cleaned and bandaged the wound, and Jordan’s family took her to Atlantic General Hospital.
“We still don’t know what kind of shark it was. The ER doctor confirmed it was a shark bite because no other animal makes this type of bite,” Jordan’s mother said.
The town of Ocean City says officials are consulting experts and aren’t ruling out marine life.
National Aquarium marine biologist Jay Bradley said shark attacks are pretty rare in Maryland.
“There were less than 60 shark attacks last year in the world — 30 in the United States, most of those in Florida. (It’s) relatively unlikely in Maryland,” Bradley said.
