Colorado teen survives Belize shark attack, adapts to life with prosthetic leg

A 16-year-old from Aspen, Colorado, is learning to live with a prosthetic leg after a shark attack during a Belize vacation last August. Annabelle Carlson said she never expected to be attacked by a shark, but while her family was in Belize, a shark rose from beneath the boat as she prepared to jump back into the water. The bite damaged her hands and, moments later, her right leg; the injury extended from her ankle to just below the knee, taking much of the flesh and prompting a rapid medical response.

Onlookers threw life rings and oxygen tanks to help as she fought to be pulled back onto the boat. In a moment of urgency, a fellow tourist handed her a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. The group endured a grueling hour and a half return to shore before a helicopter and emergency crews transported her to hospital. The attack happened three days into their Belize trip, after Carlson and her mother had already logged a deep dive with the family’s diving group and were preparing for another jump off the boat.

Back in the United States, Carlson returned home in October and immediately faced a persistent infection described by doctors as a one-in-a-million mycobacterial infection. She spent months undergoing surgeries and extended care at Children’s Hospital Colorado after a stint in a Miami hospital, with doctors warning that the infection could set her back repeatedly. Her medical team, including Dr. Julia Sanders, called the infection challenging and noted that Carlson required multiple procedures to manage the wound and keep her stable as she recovered and adjusted to life with a prosthesis.

In sharing updates about the recovery, Carlson’s mother Kellie Carlson posted on social media that her family had learned much about hope, resilience and community. She described Annex as a fighter who was sustained by science and prayer and expressed gratitude to the medical teams that kept her alive during a critical period. The family also documented moments of humor and family bonding during the long journey, including Halloween scenes in which a friend wore a shark costume and Carlson, wearing a swimsuit, wrapped her leg in a mock bloodied rag.

As she approached the one-year anniversary of the attack, Carlson showed progress in mobility and activity. She has since resumed activities such as running on a prosthetic limb and practicing Pilates, and has returned to scuba diving with the family. In a March post, she shared a photo of herself diving back into the ocean with the caption, “Sharks were nice this time ?.” Her doctors have emphasized the importance of ongoing rehabilitation and monitoring for infection, but Carlson has remained resolute in her recovery and in maintaining a sense of humor about the experience.

Looking ahead, she has pledged to work toward starting a foundation that would donate first aid kits to boats, camps and other venues where timely care can save lives. She has said that having a tourniquet on hand likely saved her life and has framed her recovery as a motivation to help others prepare for emergencies. “If I didn’t get a tourniquet, I wouldn’t be here today,” she has said, underscoring the practical life-saving impact of basic first aid tools.

The Carlson family has described the Belize attack as a turning point that reshaped their travel lifestyle. The Aspen native and her siblings continue to pursue underwater adventures, with Carlson’s story serving as a reminder of resilience in the face of life-threatening danger. While the road to full recovery has included significant medical and logistical challenges, Carlson’s return to the water and her ongoing use of a prosthetic limb illustrate a trajectory of recovery that has inspired community members and medical professionals alike.