Sugar Land teen recovering after rare barracuda attack in Turks and Caicos

SUGAR LAND, Texas - A 13-year-old girl from Sugar Land is recovering after she was severely bitten by a barracuda while vacationing with her family in Turks and Caicos last week.

Sugar Land teen severely bitten by barracuda in Turks and Caicos

What we know:

Claire Macdonel is now back in the Houston area, where she's preparing to undergo surgery on her hand.

Claire and her mother spoke exclusively with FOX 26 about the rare attack, saying what started as a normal day at the beach quickly turned into a trip to the emergency room.

Claire says she's sharing her story to raise awareness, hoping it helps another family avoid a similar experience.

Claire is expected to undergo tendon repair surgery Wednesday and is expected to make a full recovery. Despite the frightening experience, she says she still loves the ocean and plans to follow her dream of becoming a marine biologist one day.

Warning: Some of the photos from the incident are graphic.

Expert shares safety tips 

According to experts, barracudas are common in the Gulf, but attacks on people are rare. Marine life can sometimes be found in shallow water, including barracudas, sharks, stingrays and jellyfish.

"When you are walking around in shallow water, make sure to always shuffle your feet. That action against the ground actually scares away animals that can be in the sand and floating. I recommend not wearing anything that is bright or could reflect in the water, things like bracelets or earrings which could attract some fish," said Austin Kirwin, Chief of Galveston Island Beach Patrol. "The biggest thing is just be aware of your surroundings."

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