Girl, 11, to have surgery after shark bites at Huguenot Park

A Jacksonville woman whose daughter was bitten by a shark over the weekend wants to see more lifeguards on the beaches.

The woman's 11-year-old daughter was bitten on the back, arm and hand Saturday while swimming at Huguenot Park.

Shay is expected to have surgery Wednesday morning to reattach tendons in her wrist and repair any other damage caused by the bites.

Shay's mother, who didn't want to be named, said no one was patrolling the beach on Saturday when Shay and give of her younger cousins were swimming.

Luckily, she said a nurse was nearby and helped her daughter while they waited for paramedics.

“People returned back into the water, so the beach wasn't shut down immediately and people were swimming,” the mother said.

The woman said the doctor believes her daughter was bitten by at least one 4-foot bull shark and maybe another shark.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you or your kids,” she said.

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