A 13-year-old from the Houston area, Claire Macdonel, was bitten by a barracuda while doing a handstand in shallow water during a family vacation in Turks and Caicos. A bystander nurse provided first aid after the attack, and photos show multiple cuts and a deep laceration. Claire is scheduled for tendon-repair surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. She urges swimmers to remove jewelry and exercise caution in shallow water.
Texas Teen To Undergo Surgery After Rare Barracuda Bite During Turks And Caicos Vacation
Claire Macdonel, 13, of Texas, suffered severe injuries to her hand after a barracuda bit her while she was playing in the water during a family vacation to Turks and Caicos (KHOU 11)
A 13-year-old girl from the Houston area, Claire Macdonel, is scheduled for surgery after a barracuda bit her hand while she was doing a handstand in shallow water during a family vacation in Turks and Caicos.
Incident Details
Last week Claire and her family traveled from the Houston suburbs to the islands. She told Fox 26 she felt "a lot of pressure" on her hand and then "a big bite" while upside down in the water. Immediately afterward she looked back and saw a large, silver-tailed fish swim away.
Claire Macdonel, 13, of Texas, suffered severe injuries to her hand after a barracuda bit her while she was playing in the water during a family vacation to Turks and Caicos (KHOU 11)
Claire said she was wearing a resort wristband on one wrist and a shiny bracelet on the other, which she believes may have attracted the fish much like a lure.
Response And Injuries
Her mother, Jen Macdonel, told reporters she initially feared Claire would "bleed out." A passerby who identified herself as a nurse rushed to help, dressing the wounds until emergency services arrived. Photos shared with local broadcaster KHOU 11 show multiple cuts and one deep laceration across the teen's hand; paramedics used a tourniquet in the ambulance while transporting her for further care.
A school of barracudas. A barracuda bit the hand of 13-year-old from Texas while she was vacationing in Turks and Caicos (AFP/Getty)
"I've never seen that much blood," Jen said, adding she worried her daughter might lose the use of her hand.
Treatment And Outlook
Claire is scheduled for surgery on Wednesday to repair damaged tendons. Doctors expect a full recovery, and the teenager says the frightening episode has not deterred her ambition to become a marine biologist.
Safety Notes
Barracudas seldom bite people, but encounters can occur when the fish enter shallow water. Beachgoers are advised to remove jewelry and avoid sudden movements or shiny objects in the shallows that could attract curious fish. As with stingrays, shuffling your feet in shallow water—the so-called "stingray shuffle"—can help avoid surprising hidden animals.
Claire and her family hope her story will remind others to take simple precautions while enjoying the ocean.
Help us improve.
