A Marine veteran reportedly saved his daughter by punching a shark multiple times after it bit her.

What happened?

According to WCTI-TV, Charlie Winter and his 17-year-old daughter, Paige, were swimming in the Atlantic Ocean at Fort Macon State Park in North Carolina when a shark attacked Paige.

Desperate, her father began punching the shark. Charlie's mother, Janet Winter, said Charlie "punched the shark in the face 5 times before it let go." Even with her father's heroic intervention, Paige suffered severe injuries.

According to the Atlantic Beach Fire Department, Paige suffered "deep lacerations to her leg, pelvic, and hand areas." In a Facebook post, Janet Winter said that Paige had lost one of her legs and some of her fingers.

She was airlifted to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina. CBS News reported that the hospital said she was in "good condition."

Even after the attack, Paige advocated for the sharks, the hospital said that she "wishes for people to continue to respect sharks in their environment and their safety."

In a Facebook post of her own, Paige's mother Marcy Winter said that Paige "wants everyone to know that sharks are still good people."

In addition to being a Marine, Charlie Winter has been both a firefighter and a paramedic.



In a statement, Paige said:

Thank you to the care team at Vidant Medical Center who is continuing to provide excellent care. I know I have a long road to recovery, which includes additional surgeries. I will continue to stay positive and be thankful that it was not worse.