By Marc Acton
A student working a temporary stint on NOAAS Discoverer (R-102), Heather Boswell was swimming off the Chilean coast March 23, 1994, when a crewmember yelled, “Shark!” After attacking another swimmer, the shark grabbed Boswell's leg and yanked her under, surfacing a few seconds later near a small boat where Matthew Ofthus, Jon Knox, and Lisa Glover grabbed her.
Boswell recounted what happened to Oprah Winfrey in 2016: “They reached down and pulled me, and the shark still had ahold of my left leg. It was tug of war, and then I felt a pop.” She looked down to see her leg gone.
Crewmembers sprang into action. Lt. Cmdr. Judeth L. Layne, USPHS, the ship's registered nurse, directed care with assistance from Seattle: NOAA Cmdr. Lawrence Simoneaux and Lt. Cmdr. James Herkelrath and USPHS Lt. Cmdr. Steve C. Stringfellow provided medical advice and logistical support, arranged for treatment to be waiting in port, and directed the evacuation.
Layne, Ofthus, Knox, and Glover received the Department of Commerce Gold Medal, with a citation citing, “The bravery of the individuals who literally pulled her from the jaws of the great white shark, and the expert emergency medical care provided by Lieutenant Commander Layne.” Simoneaux, Herkelrath, and Stringfellow received silver medals for their role.
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