Victim of shark attack in PE, Marcela Vitória shares overcoming and plans for the future By Beatriz
3 min read
 |
Two incidents with sharks, which occurred in less than 24 hours off the coast of the Metropolitan Region of Recife, drastically altered the trajectory of two young people, but culminated in a remarkable outcome: both managed to survive.
One of the victims, Marcela Vitória, 19, who was attacked in early June, gave an exclusive interview detailing the events and her rehabilitation process after the incident.
João Lucas, another young man, suffered an attack on Praia de Piedade on May 31. Upon being discharged from the hospital, he was warmly honored by the medical and nursing staff, who sang “É champion”. One of the doctors expressed the general sentiment: “You’re a victory. It’s a miracle. And I’m glad you’re going home. You’ll have your whole life ahead of you.”
Just over a day after the first incident, a new attack was recorded, this time on Praia de Boa Viagem, killing law student Marcela Vitória dos Santos. Still in the recovery process, she demonstrates resilience and focus on the future. “My life didn’t end. The world didn’t stop there,” he said.
In her exclusive interview, Marcela recalled the moments of the attack. She described being in the sea, in a shallow area, when she felt a touch on her hand, quickly followed by a bite at the thigh. The predator responsible was a tiger shark, measuring more than three meters in length.
“It was a matter of seconds. When I looked down, I couldn’t see,” the young woman reported.
The student realized the seriousness of the situation when she noticed the large amount of blood and decided that she needed to react. “I thought that if he kept biting, he would probably kill me. So I screamed as loud as I could to call my cousin,” said Marcela.
Jonas André de Lima, her cousin, heard the calls for help and, even though he was aware of the shark’s imminent danger, he entered the water to rescue his cousin. “I couldn’t let her die there in that place”, declared Jonas, who Marcela considers a hero. A doctor who was present on the beach managed to stop the bleeding before help arrived.
Marcela remained conscious throughout the rescue process. She remembers precisely the moment she understood the loss of her leg. “At that moment I felt grief. Not the grief of a person, but the grief of having lost a limb,” he said. The hospitalization lasted 40 days, with five of them in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and required two surgeries.
His mother, Jacicleide Severina de Lima, closely followed his entire recovery. A single mother, she recalled that Marcela worked as a pizza maker’s assistant to help with household expenses while studying law. Currently, the family faces the financial challenge of paying for rehabilitation, as the young woman is still unable to return to work.
Despite all the adversity, Marcela guarantees that the attack did not change her future plans. She continues to dream of becoming a judge and expresses her intention to make the most of the second chance she has received at life. “This will only make me stronger. Let’s live, study, work and enjoy everything that life has to offer. Let’s move forward, without looking back”, concluded the student.
