A 17-year-old who lost her leg and two fingers to a shark in North Carolina says the attack isn’t going to keep her down.

Paige Winter was swimming with her dad at Fort Macon State Park when she disappeared below the water. Her father, Charlie Winter, a former US Marine who is also a local firefighter, saw the water go pink.

“I went straight to where the pink was and I dove under and I grabbed her,” he told CBS News. “When I pulled her up a shark came up with her — it was a big shark and I immediately started to hit it. I hit it with everything I could and it let go.”

The girl’s hands were mauled from trying to pry open the shark’s jaws, and her left leg had to be amputated at her thigh. She’s still recovering, but hopes something positive will come from the experience.

“I want people to see I’m doing alright and you know, I’m still going to do the stuff they can do,” Paige said. “I think I can transform this into something good for me, good for sharks and good for the environment too.”

While unprovoked shark attacks are rare — there were 66 worldwide last year, and four fatalities — a second incident saw a 19-year-old surfer at Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina bitten by a shark last week.

Ocean Isle Beach is about 150 miles south of Fort Macon State Park.