BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Two weeks after a young woman and her best friend were both bitten by a shark on a Bahamas vacation, she got to leave the hospital Friday.
Rileigh Decker, 20, traveled from hospitals in Bimini to Orlando and finally, Melbourne.
On Friday, the Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital let reporters join staff sending off Decker after successful surgeries and rehab.
Decker was joined by her friend, Summer Layman, 24, who was also bitten on their vacation when they went swimming in Bimini Bay.
“My Achilles (tendon) was severed, so they repaired that as best they could, and my calf, like my muscles were also severed from the bite, so they repaired that to the best of their ability,” Decker said.
The best friends talked about the experience bringing them even closer together.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“The fact that she didn’t know her foot was bit because she was so worried about getting me help and making sure I was OK just shows a lot about who she is as a person,” Decker said.
“I’m happy that it was with you,” Layman responded. “It could break a friendship, but it definitely didn’t just because of the support.”
Decker said she wouldn’t have wanted to get bitten by a shark with anyone else, making Layman laugh.
The hospital’s medical director said the girls were bitten by a bull shark, which has a tendency to let go after biting humans.
“When a bull shark bites you, and it’s one of the strongest and fiercest sharks, they don’t usually like to bite humans, so I think that had something to do with why she survived and why she still had the leg attached because the shark let go of her leg at that point,” Dr. Juan Lebron said.
The doctor said Decker will have months of recovery ahead of her, starting with home patient care.