Hammerhead shark trails paddleboarder in Florida
Malea Tribble discussed what happened when a shark was following directly behind her paddleboard and how her focus and calm kept her safe
A Florida paddleboarder who was unknowingly being trailed by a shark is crediting her husband with keeping her calm in the face of danger.
Video showed a hammerhead shark circling Malea Tribble and her group paddleboarders during a charity race 35 miles off the coast of Palm Beach County. After initially dismissing "taps" under her board, Tribble said she came to the realization she was being followed when her husband Rick started directing her back to the boat.
"I knew by the tone of his voice to pay actually attention and listen, to do everything that he's telling me to do in that moment," Tribble told "The Faulkner Focus" Friday.
Video shows paddleboarder Malea Tribble being circled by a hammerhead shark during a charity event off the coast of Florida. Tribble credited her husband on "The Faulkner Focus" Friday for calmly guiding her back to the boat during the "surreal" incident. (Jason Brushaber)
"I do think it would have been a lot different had I known a lot more factors, but they kind of kept those things away from me – not telling me where it was, not telling me how big it was – trying to keep me calm during that whole scenario."
Tribble called the incident "surreal" and a first in the 10-year history of "The Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis" event.
"I’m still a little bit in shock that it happened to me," she said.
"I never, ever imagined to come into contact with a shark."
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Tribble said she re-entered the water 10 minutes after the shark swam away because those with cystic fibrosis cannot stop their treatment "in the face of fear."
"It wasn’t an option to quit," said.
State leaders throughout the East Coast are warning of shark attacks. Shirley County, N.Y., Executive Steve Bellone said the county is closing the beach due to shark bites for the first time. He announced that the Long Island county will incorporate shark incidents into their beach routines.
As part of her safety procedures, Tribble said she never paddleboards alone, adding boarders "have to listen to the people you are around."
Travis Suit, the executive director for Crossing For Cystic Fibrosis, said in a statement, "We are grateful Malea was not harmed and so proud of the calm and disciplined response the Tribble’s had during the situation as paddle mentors in this event, providing a great example of how to handle close encounters like this. We are visitors when we are in the ocean, it’s really their home, so it’s to be expected."
Tribble said she is unafraid of returning to the water and hopes others are not, either.
"You know you’re in the ocean, you kind of know what you’re up against, but it’s a very rare occurrence," she said.
"My calmness kind of took over. It was instinct for me."
Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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