The supplied account does not establish exactly how many times Rhett struck the shark or the precise position of his hands during the struggle.
It does establish that he physically fought the animal until it released Addison.
The shark eventually let go.
For the first time since the attack began, Addison was no longer trapped in its jaws.
That was the critical turning point.
Rhett could now concentrate on getting her out of the water.
But the shark had already caused devastating injuries.
The teenager's right thigh had suffered extensive damage, creating an immediate risk of dangerous blood loss.
Rhett's emergency training became especially important at that moment.
He understood that escaping the animal did not mean the emergency was over.
Addison needed to reach the boat.
Her bleeding needed to be controlled.
And she needed hospital treatment as quickly as possible.
The brother who had just fought a shark now had to help keep his sister alive.
Chapter 5: The Race to Get Addison Onto the Boat
After the shark released Addison, Rhett helped her toward the boat.
The immediate danger from the animal had ended, but her condition remained critical.
She had sustained a severe bite to her right leg.
A wound of that magnitude can cause rapid blood loss, particularly when major vessels or surrounding tissues are damaged.
Getting Addison out of the water was therefore essential.
In the ocean, assessing a wound and applying effective first aid can be extremely difficult.
Movement, waves, and the need to remain afloat complicate everything.
A boat provides a more stable place to assess injuries and begin emergency treatment.
Rhett and the others brought Addison aboard.
Once she was out of the water, attention turned to controlling the bleeding.
A tourniquet was applied to her injured leg.
Tourniquets are designed to restrict blood flow to a severely injured limb when life-threatening bleeding must be controlled.
They can be lifesaving in emergencies involving major extremity injuries.
However, their use requires appropriate placement and emergency medical follow-up.
For Addison, the tourniquet was part of the immediate effort to keep her alive until she could reach professional medical care.
Rhett's background as a firefighter and emergency medical responder gave him knowledge that was directly relevant to the situation.
He had already helped free Addison from the shark.
Now he was involved in the urgent response to her injuries.
The account does not provide a complete record of every first-aid action performed aboard the boat.
But the application of a tourniquet was a crucial part of the reported response.
The next priority was getting Addison to advanced medical care.
Her injuries were too serious to be treated aboard a recreational vessel.