In Deep Waters: The Shark Attack that Almost Took My Life

“My blood was starting to rise to the surface of the water,” Elisabeth Foley said as she recalled the day of her fateful encounter with a shark. “People started screaming, ‘Everybody get out of the water! Get out of the water!’ This placid, beautiful day turned into a scene of chaos.”

“My family and I went to Florida, to Santa Rosa Beach,” Elisabeth said. “I was really excited because I’d heard that the beaches there are gorgeous. We all decided to go into the ocean together.  At some point I was just looking down in the water and there was this gigantic, dark mass. I didn't know what it was, I just knew I didn't want to be anywhere near it. So, I just started kicking and swimming towards the shore, and I immediately felt this searing pain in between my legs. I just started screaming.”

“I needed to protect my children,” Elisabeth said. “I didn't think of anything else. I just pulled back my left hand and, with all my might, I punched at the shark to try to hit him in the nose and make him go away. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me under the water. I knew I was going to die, but I knew I didn't want to die.”

“I cried out, ‘God, please let me live,’ then I felt this peace come over me,” Elisabeth said. “God pushed me to the surface of the water. I stuck my left hand up out of the water and my hand was gone.”

“My husband, Ryan, just started coming towards me,” Elisabeth said. “At that moment the shark swam right between us, but Ryan still kept coming towards me and just started dragging me as best he could out of the water while calling for help.”

“I was all the sudden surrounded by a bunch of people in bathing suits and swim trunks,” Elisabeth said. “They were yelling orders to each other. The people on the beach turned out to be healthcare professionals, and I believe God put them there to save my life. The woman at my head told me her name was Alyssa. I said, ‘Alyssa, will you please pray for me?’ She did.”

“EMTs arrived and I was in so much pain, my arm was screaming,” Elisabeth said. “To take my mind off the pain I kept repeating in my head Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for thou art with me.”

“They flew me to Fort Walton Medical Trauma Center, took me into surgery,” Elisabeth said. “I could not wait to get there because I had been holding on for so long. I wanted to let go.”

“I was in the hospital a total of forty-nine days,” Elisabeth said. “I had nineteen surgeries, twenty-three IVs, a rehab facility where was at for another twelve days, then I was discharged to come home.”

“It's hard,” Elisabeth said. “It's an adjustment, but I'm not going to let my physical condition affect me, and I'm  not going to curse my circumstances. I have a husband and three children that are so blessed that I'm still alive. I am so blessed to still be alive.”

“I believe in the power of prayer,” Elisabeth said. It's an amazing feeling to know that God was there, and He was working miracles the entire time. I feel honored because I think that God chose me to be a light in this world. God is good. He can bring goodness from the most tragic event. I’m in awe of His power and His presence. I have so much to be thankful and happy for.”