A woman lost both her hands during the shark attack a few yards from the shore in the Caribbean. Credit: Flickr – James Willamor.
A Canadian tourist has lost both of her hands after a shark attack in the Caribbean.
The 55-year-old woman is said to have “attempted to engage” the shark to take a photo of it in the shallows of Thompson’s Cove Beach on the Turks and Caicos islands on February 7.
The as yet unidentified woman’s husband ran to fight off the sea predator, which also bit off part of the woman’s thigh. People rushed to the woman’s aid after she returned to the shore, images show beach goers attempting to stem the bleeding from her wounds.
Turks and Caicos authorities respond to shark attack
Local police stated: “At 10.33am today, the Police Control Room of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force received a report that a female visitor had been injured while swimming.
“Medical personnel and the police were dispatched to the given location in Blue Hills, Providenciales.
“The 55-year-old victim was brought ashore and rushed to the Cheshire Hall Medical Center for Treatment.”
She was taken to hospital by airlift and is expected to survive her wounds. Reports reveal that one of her hands was amputated at the wrist and the other halfway down her forearm. The woman is now recovering in Canada.
Tourist safety on Caribbean beaches
The Turks and Caicos Department and Coastal Resources (DECR) issued a public statement following the attack: “The public is advised to remain out of the ocean until the all-clear has been issued by the DECR.”
It has been reported that beach remained closed for two days, until the shark had moved into deeper waters.
The DECR later made another statement: “Stay safe in the water! Always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, and never swim alone.”
Authorities said that the species of shark is yet to be determined.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government stated in a news release: “The shark was estimated to be approximately 6ft in length. It has been determined that the tourist had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs.”
This shark attack is the fourth in Turks and Caicos since 2021, according to island tourist authorities. Officials described possible explanations for these: “Notably, there are far more people swimming in the Turks and Caicos today than there were in the past.
“It’s also possible that overfishing may be disturbing the natural marine food chain.”
