News

Pregnant Woman Risks Life To Save Husband from Shark Attack

By Amanda Thomason September 23, 2020 at 2:58pm

There’s a long list of things pregnant women are cautioned against. They’re told to watch their caffeine intake, not drink any alcohol and avoid flying too late in their pregnancies.

Jumping into the ocean and saving your husband during a shark attack doesn’t generally make the list, but that’s precisely what one pregnant woman did over the weekend.

According to the Miami Herald, Margot Dukes-Eddy, her husband Andrew Eddy, her parents, her sister and her sister’s boyfriend were all out on Sombrero Reef in the Florida Keys to go snorkeling on Sunday.

Near a lighthouse and part of the Middle Keys, the spot was well-known for its snorkeling, and there were other people in the water around them.

In fact, Andrew wasn’t even the first person in their group to enter the water — three others were already off the boat when the 30-year-old jumped in around 10:30 a.m. and was almost immediately attacked.

Margot jumped in, helping her husband back to the boat before the shark could attack again. Thankfully, she was not injured, but her husband was missing part of his shoulder due to the attack.

According to the report by the sheriff’s office, Margot reacted as soon as it was clear things were dire.

“Dukes saw the shark’s dorsal fin and then blood filling the water,” Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Christopher Aguanno wrote. “Dukes, without hesitation, dove into the water and pulled Eddy to the safety of the boat.”

Since they were miles from shore, Andrew had to be taken by boat back to the beach, where he was then taken by helicopter to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in Miami.

His injuries were described as “severe,” but the family has asked for privacy and no new information on his current status is available.

Based on what witnesses said, the shark appeared to be a bull shark and was around nine feet long. Other snorkelers said they’d seen a bull shark of similar length in the reef earlier.

While the shark seemed to have been hanging around, there didn’t appear to be anyone actively fishing or chumming in the area.

Unprovoked shark attacks are less common in the Keys, but not entirely unheard of. According to expert George Burgess, shark attacks are more likely to happen in rougher waters where people swim and surf rather than the calm waters that invite snorkeling.

Authorities warn that late summer and early fall are prime shark attack times, and beach-goers should keep this in mind as they try to soak up the last bit of summer.

Submit a Correction →