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On July 4, 2024, Tabasa Salivent was one of four people who were bitten by a shark in the shallow waters of South Padre Island, Texas.
Selina, Texas, was swimming as something dark approached her from the water.
“What I saw was grey underwater so I thought, ‘Oh my god, it’s a huge fish’ so I just kicked it.”
Sarivent continued kicking until the shark attacked and bitten the majority of the calf on his left. Two Border Patrol agents and one swimming coach were believed to have used cool straps to create tourniquets on the beach to assist Salivent.
Courtesy: Tabatha Sullivent
Following the shark attack, Salivent underwent skin graft surgery along with regular treatment visits to assist with the recovery process.
Just a month later, Sullivent shared its first step since its attack on social media.
“What I lost hasn’t returned. I think that’s the most difficult part for me right now. …I just know that my legs don’t make…I won’t grow,” Salivent said.
After spending a month recovering in McAllen, Texas, he was moved to his home near Dallas where he received extensive treatment and another surgery.
“I had exposed bones and I had to do another skin graft with that, so I did that at Baylor in Dallas,” she added.
Salivent said he recalled having a conversation with one of the physical therapists who asked about her goals. She replied that there is a special opportunity that she should not miss. Less than four months after the shark attack, Sarivent decided to walk to her daughter’s wedding.
And she did that.
“I was walking down the aisle and dancing without assists, which was amazing,” she said.
At the time of the interview, Salivent was preparing for his holiday but he immediately added that he was not on the beach.
Sarivent and her husband are injured in the attack while trying to rescue their wife, but are far from the sea.
“Get a nice little tan and get out of the beach and out of the water,” she explained. “We have a pool so we can do that.”
Sarivent said her whole family went to counseling together and she was looking at the therapist herself. She added that she has worked through trauma and hopes to return to one of her favorite hobbies.
“I want to go boats, I want to go snorkeling, I want to get on the water. If I see snorkeling adventures and deeper water, I’m not sure if I can get into it,” Salivent said. “I think it’s really difficult for me. And I probably get panicked and don’t know what happened around me.”
Her physical ordeal is no longer over. She explained that she would need to undergo another surgery soon. She also plans to undergo cosmetic surgery on her feet in the coming years for aesthetic purposes, and plans to better protect her nearly exposed bones.
Sullivent said she has met amazing people throughout her journey, with an incredible group of friends and amazing community support.
“We were in a wheelchair so we went down into the valley and took the ramp home to our new front porch. We couldn’t walk, so we just knew people were there and people were caring.”
She may not head to the beach any time soon, but in a way the ocean is coming to her.
Salivent said that for her, she would remember more that she could do things she didn’t think she could do and could continue her life.
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