MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WHNT) — Mountain Brook resident Lulu Gribbin has become an inspiration for many. That’s after losing her hand and leg in a shark attack last year.
The Lulu Gribbin Shark Alert System Act passed through the Alabama House Public Safety and Homeland Security committee Wednesday.
“My hand was bitten at first, and I remember just lifting it out of the water,” Gribbin said. “Like, I was stunned because there was no hand there, and I couldn’t feel it because of all the shock I was in.”
Gribbin has turned that shock into advocacy. She spoke before the committee members Wednesday about the bill being named after her.
“With this bill in place, we can prevent further accidents in the future, and I’m just so excited to be able to pass it,” Gribbin said.
It would create a shark alert system, notifying people on the coastline if a shark attack happens. Gribbin said it’s about keeping people safe.
“Through my experience, I’ve been able to introduce this bill and allow all the other people to support it and to just be able to prevent future accidents,” Gribbin said. “So people won’t have to experience pain, and they’ll just be safe.”
State Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) said it’s another tool in the toolbox for first responders.
“Knowing there had been a shark attack, or to be on a better lookout, people have a right to know, and we can do that,” Faulkner said. “It’s 2025, and we can use our common sense and do this type of notification.”
Emergency management agencies in Baldwin and Mobile counties would send notifications via text message or other means. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner Chris Blankenship said it can use geocaching on the shores to send the alerts in specific areas.
“This is very rare, but it is serious,” Blankenship said. “So to have something in place that could warn the public, I think would be a benefit not only to the residents there, but for the tourists that come to Alabama to know that we have a system in place that could protect them during their time at the beach.”
Gribbin said she is proud to play a part in keeping Alabama’s beaches safe. It now heads to the House floor for a vote. Faulkner said he will be visiting with Florida lawmakers about the effort. He said it would be beneficial for other states as well.
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