Shark attack survivor recalls sickening moment she realised twin sister's hand was missing

What should have been a fun mother-daughter trip descended into horror following a savageshark attack.

Twin sisters Ellie and Lulu Gribbin, from Mountain Brook, Alabama, had been enjoying themselves at Rosemary Beach inFlorida’s Walton County, with mum Ann Blair Gribbin, and some friends in June of last year.

After breakfast, the group headed out to the beach at around 10:30 a.m. It was a warm day, and they were looking forward to basking in the Floridian sunshine. The twins, who were then 15 years old, swam out to a sand bar, looking for sand dollars - a type of flat sea urchin sometimes referred to as sea biscuits.

While swimming back to shore, they spotted a shark and started, in Ellie's words, "swimming for our lives."

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In an interview with ABC News, Ellie recalled how, after reaching shore, she looked back to see that the water had turned blood red. The predator had pounced on Lulu. Ellie remembered: "The entire ocean is red, ocean waves bring the blood closer."

While screaming out for help, Ellie, who bravely rushed back into the ocean to try and save Lulu, realised to her horror that her sister's hand was missing. She revealed: "It was just a limb of flesh, blood, and muscle. No hand to be found."

While running back into the water, Ellie saw that a man was already bringing an injured Lulu back to shore. It was then that she could see the extent of the damage, with the shark having bitten the teenager on the hand and leg.

Ellie continued: "I immediately see that not only her hand was gone, but basically her whole leg. I can see her whole thigh bone, and there is barely any muscle left. I don’t even think her foot was still there, but I do not remember."

Despite her own terror, Ellie had to stay strong for Lulu, who was suffering through immense pain. She even held her sister's eyelids open in a bid to keep her alive. Ellie shared: "She started to close her eyes, and a man told her to keep them open, so I opened them for her because I was afraid she would die if I didn’t. She tried to scream but was in so much pain it only came out as a sad little 'ahhhhh.'

Lulu was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital, where she immediately underwent emergency surgery. Fortunately, she survived the ordeal, but was left with life-changing injuries, having lost both her left hand and her right leg.

In the months that followed, resilient Lulu underwent multiple surgeries, and three months later, Lulu was able to walk out of the hospital, having been fitted with prosthetic leg and arm.

One year on, and Lulu has turned her ordeal into something positive through the Lulu Strong Foundation, which supports life-changing innovations for fellow amputees. According to the foundation website: "Despite these severe injuries Lulu has shown remarkable resilience and bravery. She has faced so much adversity and has done so with grit, determination, and grace.

"Lulu has taken her experience and has turned it into a mission to help others in need, and has started the Lulu Strong Foundation."

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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