Throughout the week, our ACC Team searches through emails and news articles looking for someone who deserves to be the Hero of the Week… Find out how you can nominate a Hero of the Week at the bottom of the page.
Last week, ABC aired a one-hour special on a father who saved his daughter from a shark attack.
Paige Winter, 17, was the first to jump in the water that day at Atlantic Beach inside of Fort Macon State Park in North Carolina. It wasn’t long before she was in the jaws of a shark! The shark grabbed her around the leg. She described the motion of the shark shaking her leg like a dog would shake a toy. Her instinct was to try and grab it’s jaws to pry it off of her leg, but she cut her hands on the shark’s razor sharp teeth.
Her father, Charlie, who was up on the shore, was alerted that his daughter was in trouble when he heard someone yell, “Shark!” A firefighter by trade, running to save people was not new to Charlie… only this time, it was his daughter he was saving.
He was able to grab his daughter, but the shark would not let go of her, so he started to punch the shark in the face with all his might. Eventually, the shark released her. Then, Charlie ran to the shore knowing his daughter’s leg was in bad shape.
Paige Winter lost her leg in that attack, but she has a great attitude about it all. In the special, Paige wanted everyone to know that “sharks are still good people.”
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Kix’s Response:
If you didn’t catch this special, give it a look. It’s an amazing story.
And, I think both of them are heroes – Charlie for his bravery and Paige who has fought back as an amputee, showing amazing strength at such a challenging time. So, Charlie and Paige Winter, you are our ACC Heroes of the Week!
For more on this story, check out ABC News’ special “Shark Attack: The Paige Winters Story with Robin Roberts” here.
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!