Chase Survives Shark Attack

• We feel fairly secure in proclaiming that SummitMedia Richmond OM Melissa Chase had quite the adventurous vacation week; one that gave her a) one hell of a campfire story, and more importantly, b) a ton of priceless free show prep for her and co-host Jack Lauterback when they crack the mic today on Hot AC WURV (103.7 Play) — she was bitten by a shark… and survived! OK, granted it was a baby shark, but according to people who know stuff about sharks — that still counts as a shark, so there. [Artist’s conception of shark depicted smaller than actual size].

As Chase recounted in a dramatic Facebook post, she and her two kids were jumping waves at Sunset Beach, NC last week when the incident occurred. “I felt something rubbery slide between my legs and bump me,” Chase said. “I knew right away it was a shark, but didn’t have enough time to react before it bit down on my ankle. The pain felt exactly like you’d think it would when you watch a shark movie and it chomps down — my stomach felt completely nauseous.”

With her maternal instincts instantly kicking in, Chase said, “My 10-year-old was right next to me and our Mother’s helper and my 6-year-old were a few yards away, and I knew 1) I had to get out of the water right that minute, and 2) I had to get the kids out of the water before they got bit. I yelled to my oldest that I got pinched by a crab and we had to get out of there quickly so she wouldn’t get bit (I was worried if I told her the truth she’d panic) and I screamed for the others to come out with us. We ran into shore, and our friend who is a nurse helped get the bleeding under control.”

After a trip to “a local ER,” a remarkably composed Chase (pictured) was patched up, received a tetanus shot, and the bite was X-ray’d to make sure the shark hadn’t left any teeth in the puncture wounds. “It’s incredibly achy now and I’ll be on antibiotics to fight off any infections but overall, it was a good outcome,” Chase said. “Although I like that the TV stations and the national press keep using stock photos of enormous Great White sharks for their stories,” she tells RAMP, laughing.