Who is Lulu Gribbin? Alabama Teen Victim Loses a Hand and a Leg in Florida Shark Attack

Lulu Gribbin (age 15, born in 2008) is a schoolgirl from Mountain Brook, Alabama who has been identified as the victim of a shark attack in the Florida Panhandle.

The incident occurred amidst a series of attacks, where two teenagers were injured within 90 minutes along approximately four miles of beach in Walton County.

The attack on Lulu and McCray Faust happened around 3 pm, as reported by South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford. Both girls sustained severe injuries, requiring tourniquets to be applied to their bite wounds.

Lulu suffered the loss of her hand and a leg during the attack. Following the incident, she was swiftly airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. The journey to the hospital took approximately an hour and 20 minutes by road.

The severity of Lulu’s injuries is evident, as she lost two-thirds of her blood during the attack, rendering her condition life-threatening.

Medical experts highlight that when a person loses over 40 percent of their blood without immediate surgical intervention, it significantly increases the risk of death.

Lulu’s Mother, Ann Blair Gribbin, Recounts the Horrific Beach Trip

Ann Blair Gribbin, the mother of Lulu Gribbin, recounts the terrifying events of their beach trip, which turned into a nightmare.

On Friday, we decided to walk down from where we were staying, right outside Rosemary Beach, for lunch. After lunch, we were walking back on the beach to the girls, and everyone on the beach was standing, looking out into the water.

No one was in the water, and all we heard was there was a shark. We started to look as well. My friend called both her daughters, and they were not answering, so she started to panic and said there is something wrong and started running, and so we all did.

The beach was packed with people just looking. I came upon a group of people surrounding someone on the ground and looked down, and it was Lulu who was there. Ellie found me and said, “Mom, it’s Lulu.” I saw her wounds on her leg and started to scream. She was lifeless, her eyes closed, mouth white and pale.

The wound on her leg, or all that was left of her leg, was something out of a movie. I finally made it back to her and held her hand, and she saw me, and I told her I was there.

Her eyes were open. I had no idea how long she had been there or what had happened. Almost immediately, the beach truck was there, and the EMTs loaded her onto a board and put her back in the truck, and wheeled her off; she was airlifted away.

One of my Mom friends immediately got me and Ellie up to the house and in the car. We were told she was going one place and then finally got an answer: she was going to Sacred Heart in Pensacola.

This was an hour and 20-minute drive. We prayed the entire way. My friend who was driving was a Godsend for me and Ellie and knew exactly what to pray. All I could say over and over was, “Please be alive, please breathe.” No one we called could give us any information.

We got to Sacred Heart, and Lulu was already in surgery, but they answered my prayer that she was alive, and her vitals were good. Joe met me there, and we waited for the surgeons to come and talk to us. Once they did, we were informed that the shark had bitten off Lulu’s left hand and that they had to amputate her right leg halfway up from her knee to her hip. She also had lost 2/3 of the blood in her body. Of course, no one wants that for your child, but she is alive. They also told us that Lulu may be intubated for the next week or so and would need 4-5 surgeries to finalize her amputations.

Yesterday, Saturday, Lulu did not have surgery like we expected, and her vitals were exactly what the team of doctors and nurses wanted. She did so well that they ended up taking the tube out of her throat, and she was breathing on her own. This was a first big step. Once she was settled, her first words to us were, “I made it.” And boy, she did.

Lulu relived the story of what happened on the beach that day. There were 6 friends all at the first sandbar, about waist-high, looking for sand dollars. Probably like the hundreds of other people in the water that day. I am not sure who noticed the shark first, but Lulu said it bit her hand and then her leg and then went for her other friend and got her foot. Lulu said a man grabbed her other arm and pulled her out, and another younger boy helped him carry her to shore.

Once on the shore, there were two doctors and two other young women, one of whom was a nurse, who were all surrounding Lulu. These individuals put tourniquets on Lulu’s wounds, which I believe was crucial to saving Lulu’s life. She was then taken by the beach truck and airlifted to Sacred Heart in Pensacola where we are now.

I am eternally grateful for the 3 surgeons and all the nursing staff and doctors here at this hospital who saved Lulu. I am grateful for the doctors and nurses on the beach that day. I am grateful for the EMTs on the beach and the crew in the air. I am grateful for the individual who pulled her out of the water.

At this point, we will have multiple surgeries in the days to come, and our lives will be forever changed. Lulu is strong, beautiful, brave, and so many more things I can’t count. God has a plan for her, and we will be there to support her every way we can.

We appreciate the outpouring of love and support that we have been shown. All the text messages, videos, Instagrams, Facebook posts, calls, etc., have lifted us all up. Please continue to pray for Lulu. Pray for her to have strength to get through whatever is coming her way. Pray for her healing to be fast and pain to be as minimal as possible.

She is worried about not fitting in and people making fun of her. I need prayers for everyone to be understanding and to show her grace. I also need prayers for Lulu to know that her hand and her leg do not define who she is. Please pray for Joe and me to give her strength and be the rock she needs.

Pray for us to have the right words to lift her up and encourage her. I also would like prayers for all the girls that were on the beach with her and the trauma they have endured. Sweet Lulu is more worried for her friends than she is herself, which is a testament to her character.

I know this was a terrible accident, but God was there and had the people there who helped save her life. Lulu said she felt God in the back of the beach truck. She is truly a miracle. We have a long road ahead, and our journey is just beginning!

Lulu Gribbin is a young Volleyball Player

Lulu Gribbin, born in 2008 in Mountain Brook, Alabama, is a high school student residing with her mother, Ann Blair Gribbin, and sister Ellie Gribbin. She attended Mountain Brook Elementary School and is currently pursuing her education in high school.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Lulu has a passion for volleyball. She has been actively involved in the sport, having played for the Alabama Performance Volleyball Women’s Club.

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Lulu Gribbin FAQs

Ques: What is Lulu Gribbin’s age?

Ans: Lulu is 15 years old.

Ques: Who is Lulu Gribbin’s sister?

Ans: Ellie Gribbin.

Ques: What is the name of Lulu Gribbin’s mother?

Ans: Ann Blair Gribbin.