They possess muscular bodies, powerful tails, and rows of serrated teeth capable of inflicting catastrophic injuries.
Their hunting behavior is adapted to marine environments where visibility, movement, and sensory information all influence how they locate potential prey.
Along the California coast, great white sharks are a natural part of the marine ecosystem.
They feed on different animals throughout their lives, with larger individuals capable of consuming marine mammals.
Their presence near a beach does not mean they are deliberately seeking humans.
Nevertheless, an encounter involving direct physical contact can be extremely dangerous.
A great white shark's bite can damage skin, muscle, blood vessels, nerves, and bone.
Even when a person escapes the animal, the injuries may be life-threatening.
In Leeanne's case, the shark's jaws closed around her right thigh.
The thigh contains major muscles and blood vessels that are essential for movement and circulation.
Severe damage in that area can create a risk of substantial blood loss.
The situation was made even more dangerous because the shark was pulling her underwater.
A person caught in a shark's jaws faces more than the immediate physical injury.
Remaining submerged can also prevent breathing.
If the animal continues pulling the person downward, the victim must fight both the injury and the inability to reach air.
That was the situation Leeanne faced.
She was trapped in the shark's grip while the surrounding water limited her ability to see and respond.
The animal's exact motivation for biting her was not established.
It would be inaccurate to claim that the shark had deliberately selected Leeanne as prey or followed her before the encounter without supporting evidence.
What is known is that it seized her leg and pulled her beneath the surface.
The encounter had already caused devastating damage.
But the shark had not yet released her.
Leeanne needed to break free before she could reach the surface.
She had no specialized equipment to defend herself.
She could not simply swim away while the animal held her thigh.
Her immediate options were limited to whatever physical resistance she could manage.
And she began fighting back.
Chapter 3: Dragged Into the Murky Water
The shark continued pulling Leeanne underwater while maintaining its grip on her right leg.
For someone caught in such an encounter, the physical circumstances are overwhelming.
The animal's jaws restrict movement.
The surrounding water reduces stability.
And the victim must act while unable to breathe normally beneath the surface.
Leeanne understood that she needed to make the shark release her.
According to her account, she began punching the animal.
She struck it repeatedly while trying to escape its grip.