She punched it right in the “Jaws.”
A Texas woman has made major waves online after sharing how she survived a Florida shark attack by reportedly pummeling the predator until it released her. A series of clips detailing the “Jaws”-dropping incident collectively boast millions of views on TikTok.
“I felt like I was in a ‘Jaws’ movie at that moment,” Heather West, 35, told Jam Press of the harrowing encounter, which occurred while she was swimming with friends in the picturesque waters of Dry Tortugas National Park near Key West in January 2022. West was reportedly the last one left in the water at the time as the rest of her party already had gone back to shore.
The Montgomery resident described in one of the videos how she was paddling parallel to the beach when, all of a sudden, she felt something “snatch” her foot.
“I couldn’t comprehend what was going on,” explained West, who initially thought it was “one of the guys” grabbing her foot to try and scare her — even though the others were on the beach.
“I couldn’t comprehend what was going on,” Heather West, 35, said of her harrowing ordeal. Jam Press/NY Post photo composite
“I was so mad that I used him as leverage and sat up in the water, screaming, ‘You motherf–ker!’ while punching down into the water at his face with both fists, and that’s when he decided to let go,” she recalled. Jam Press“I remember thinking how strong they were. It felt like my ankle was in a vice grip and it was so strong,” she told Jam Press of the horrific encounter. “I just sat there waiting for it to let go.”
The reality of the situation dawned on her after she “felt a massive jerk” on her leg and “immediately knew it was a shark that was dragging me,” the petrified swimmer said.
At that moment, West realized she had to act fast.
“As it was dragging me through the water, I knew I was on my own and I needed to fight back if I wanted any chance at surviving,” she recalled of the wild incident. “I flipped over on my back, with my leg still facing the opposite direction and started kicking at his face with my good leg.”
West’s foot required 18 stitches. Jam PressUnfortunately, West’s flippers prevented her from getting any propulsion with her legs, so the exasperated swimmer decided to use her fists to fend off the attacker and “give him a good smack in the face,” which eventually did the trick, according to Jam Press.
“I was so mad that I used him as leverage and sat up in the water, screaming, ‘You motherf–ker!’ while punching down into the water at his face with both fists, and that’s when he decided to let go,” she said.
After breaking free, West — who thought she’d lost a foot — yelled to her friends for help while simultaneously scanning the water for her attacker. That was no mean feat as, by that time, the water had filled with clouds of blood, obscuring her view.
The attack occurred while West was swimming with friends in the picturesque waters of Dry Tortugas National Park in January 2022. Jam PressThankfully, the shark didn’t return for a second helping and the courageous woman’s friends eventually managed to drag her onto the beach by her arms. One buddy subsequently applied a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding while another ran to find help.
“At this point, I still thought my foot was gone. I looked down and saw it still attached and started screaming, ‘I can’t believe I won!’” she said of that adrenaline-packed moment.
“I knew it was a battle for the foot – and one of us was gonna win, and one of us was gonna lose,” the survivor recalled on TikTok. “And, honestly, I didn’t expect that I was gonna be the winner of this.
“I was really happy afterward. I just felt so grateful to be alive,” she added.
“I felt like I was in a ‘Jaws’ movie,” said West. Jam PressThe relieved gal described the shark to locals, who identified it as a 6-foot lemon shark that reportedly had been attacking birds in the area for some time. Generally considered not dangerous to humans, the species has been responsible for only 10 unprovoked attacks, all occurring in Florida and the Caribbean, according to the Florida Museum.
West was subsequently put on a charter plane to Lower Keys Medical Center in Stock Island, Florida, where she received 18 stitches, Jam Press reported.
TikTok users were left stunned over her incredible survival tale.
“What a badass getting mad at a shark and punching the hell out of it and winning!” exclaimed one fan. “Sheeshh you’re strong.”
“At least you get to tell people that you fought a shark and won,” said another.
“I live in fear of this everyday and I live in Arkansas.” quipped one jokester. “I’m glad you’re ok.”
West ultimately chalked up her survival to instinct.
“The gut feeling — me listening to that and turning — if I had not turned, most likely it would’ve been my arm or my side,” she said on TikTok. “And surely I would’ve bled out in the amount of time it would’ve taken me to get back to Key West.”
“I knew it was a battle for the foot – and one of us was gonna win, and one of us was gonna lose,” said West. “And, honestly, I didn’t expect that I was gonna be the winner of this.” Jam Press




