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Palm City girl, 10, stays calm throughout shark encounter

'I fought a shark and won:' Jasmine Carney faces shark at Hobe Sound Beach
Jasmine Carney gives thumbs up from hospital bed after shark attack, Nov. 29, 2022
Posted at 5:15 PM, Nov 29, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-29 17:48:19-05

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Make no mistake that Jasmine Carney is one brave, cool kid.

"I fought a shark and won," Carney said.

The 10-year-old from Palm City found herself in the presence of a shark Sunday afternoon at Hobe Sound Beach.

"Something grabbed me," she said. "It looked pretty big and it was gray. It hurt, so I'm like, kick it (and) run away."

Her adoptive grandmother, who goes by "Nana," said she was "amazed."

"She came running up that beach, screaming, 'Nana! Nana! Something bit me. Something bit me,'" she recalled. "And I saw all the blood and went and got a lifeguard."

Carney was flown by helicopter to Palm Beach Children's Hospital at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

Jasmine's surgeon, Dr. Nir Hus, was stunned at the child's calm nature.

"She was very positive from the get-go," he said.

Hus described severe injury to Carney's right foot.

Jasmine Carney's foot injured in shark attack
Even with a badly injured foot, Jasmine Carney has stayed amazingly calm after her scrape with a shark at Hobe Sound Beach.

"There's a piece missing," he said. "Luckily for her, this was the only location that she was bitten."

Hus said Carney should make a full recovery in one to two months.

Carney said her 6-year-old brother, Jackson, is helping her keep calm.

"He's pretty curious, so I might as well stay calm because I know he wouldn't want me to be scared, because he's the best little brother in the world," she said.