T H E
C O N V E R S A T I O N
Life after Shark Attack
PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB MACKOWSKI/OPEN APERTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
The remarkable spirit of Paige Winter
By Dana Sachs
Paige Winter: Survivor
On June 2 of last year, a shark attacked you when you were in the ocean near Morehead City. How do you remember that day? When I think about it, it doesn’t freak me out. It almost feels like a dream because all the blood loss and stuff made me loopy. I remember talking to my dad and my brother and the paramedics and the helicopter guys. My whole body went numb. I knew what had happened. I was like, “Wow.” You were 17 then? I’m still 17. I turn 18 next month. Your dad, Charlie Winter, got you away from the shark. It’s lucky that he’s a paramedic and firefighter. I feel more lucky because he’s a big man! He has all types of muscles, so he is really strong. He was a paramedic when he was getting me out of the water, but once he got me on the beach he was like, “OK. I’m a dad. This is my kid. I’m freaking out.” He wasn’t screaming or crying or anything, but he was freaking out. He looked worried.
THE ART & SOUL OF WILMINGTON
It’s interesting that you could perceive his emotions, considering what you were going through yourself. Yeah. I was laying down, most of my blood gone, and my dad crawled out of the water and I was like, “Did it get you?” And he was like, “No!” I was worried about him. When you were in the water, did you know immediately that it was a shark? No. I’ve been to the beach a lot, and my dad and other people they’ll grab my leg because they think it’s funny. I started laughing. And then it started to really hurt and I got pulled under water and it stopped hurting and I just felt nothing. I thought it was a snapping turtle because I ran my hand over it and one way is smooth and the other way is rough. I thought, “This is smooth. It’s a really strong snapping turtle.” And then I was like, “No. It’s not.” Both you and your dad have an ability to remain calm in an emergency. Did you always know that about yourself? I didn’t. You know that idea of “fight, flight, or freeze”? I’ve always had the freeze effect. I thought that if something really popped off I’d spring into action, but when this happened I mostly froze. I was scared, but I was like, “My dad’s going to come get me in a second.” MAY/JUNE 2020 •
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