LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (CBSLA) — An aspiring model and college student found out the hard way that swimming with sharks is not a good career move.
Katarina Zarutskie, 19, got the scare of her life when the nursing student was bitten by a nurse shark.
Zarutskie, a Southern California native who now lives in Houston, was on vacation with her boyfriend and his family in the Bahamas and looking for the perfect Instagram shot (all photos in this story are from her Instagram account.)
Her boyfriend was snapping pictures when the incident took place. She was swimming on Stanley Key Island, known for it’s crystal clear water and normally docile nurse sharks. (A sign posted does warn that nurse sharks can bite.)
The shark grabbed her and took her under the water.
“It was a very scary experience,” she recalls.
The aspiring model was under only about eight seconds but it was terrifying nonetheless.
After a struggle, she was able to free herself but left with a nasty bite mark and gash on her arm.
Zarutskie hopes her modeling career will continue and she has not ruled out posing with sharks again.