A 4th of July shark attack victim is now left without her left calf -- this after she thought she was just kicking away a big fish, but it actually turned out to be a brutal encounter.
Tabatha Sullivent spoke from her hospital bed just days after a lone shark attacked her in South Padre Island, TX ... recalling how she bravely swam to the beach with only one leg intact when the massive beast tore off a chunk of her leg.
Tabatha added to FOX4 that once she got closer to the beach, her husband Cary tried to pull her out ... but had to drop her because the shark was still in hot pursuit.
In fact, Cary himself suffered several shark bites to his leg as he bravely fended off the massive beast.
JUST IN: Four shark attacks reported at South Padre Island in Texas during Fourth of July celebrations.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 5, 2024
Game Warden Capt. Chris Dowdy says all the attacks happened within two hours of each other.
One woman had a chunk bitten out her her leg as Good Samaritans were seen dragging… pic.twitter.com/Ng4aMKhjmi
As seen in the clip we shared ... a shark was circling in the shallow waters close to the beach, while beachgoers hurriedly fashioned a makeshift tourniquet to stop Tabatha's blood from gushing out as she wailed in pain.
The brave actions of others saved her life -- and as for the condition now, Tabatha says, "My leg is pretty much gone. They flushed it out today. It's all the way to the bone. It did not go through the bone." She's scheduled for another surgery on Tuesday.
Alongside Tabatha and her husband, two beachgoers encountered the shark but fortunately were not seriously injured. There hasn't been a recent update on their condition yet.