Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Shark Attack Victim Remains Hospitalized

Aired September 05, 2001 - 07:07   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A woman who lost a massive amount of blood from a Labor Day evening shark attack remains hospitalized this morning.

CNN medical correspondent Rea Blakey is in Norfolk, Virginia with an update -- good morning, Rea.

REA BLAKEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

We spoke with Dr. Jeffrey Riblet this morning with the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. He's the trauma surgeon who's been caring for 23-year-old Natalia Slobonskaya, who is the survivor of that shark attack. He tells me she's doing well this morning, that she had an uneventful evening. She is still in critical but stable condition. That's a good sign.

Last evening the physicians took her back into the O.R. to wash out her wounds, which is basically what they're doing at this point, and keeping her on sedatives. However, it's very possible, according to Dr. Riblet, that she'll be taken off the ventilator today, which would be a very good thing for her. That would allow her to communicate verbally as opposed to pretty much just nodding and moving her hands with her family members who have come to support her.

I should tell you that it will be an extensive rehab for this young lady. It's something that's going to take many, many weeks. What they're looking for in the next three to seven days is a granulation, a sort of crystallization, if you will, inside the wound, which will be a very good healing sign. And, of course, the patient at that point will be in considerably less pain.

The beaches in this area remain open. That's something that has a few beachgoers a little bit hesitant to get into the water, understandably. However, the officials believe that these are rare instances, these shark attacks, and they don't want to panic anybody. So they have kept the beaches open and, in fact, the sightings with the Coast Guard yesterday were very minimal. They said there were no more sharks or any unusual activity than they would have anticipated and so they see no reason to close the beaches at the time.

Of course, the patient is still here at the hospital, expected to be here for a number of weeks, quite possibly. Her condition seems to be improving, according to Dr. Riblet -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: That's good news.

Rea Blakey, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com