NASSAU, Bahamas – A tragic incident occurred on Monday when a woman from Boston was fatally attacked by a shark while paddleboarding with a family member near the shore at a resort in the Bahamas. The Royal Bahamas Police Force Spokesperson, Sergeant Desiree Ferguson, confirmed the unfortunate incident during a press conference today.
According to Ferguson, the woman and her male relative were paddleboarding about three-quarters of a mile away from the beach when the shark attacked. A lifeguard who witnessed the horrifying attack immediately went out in a boat to rescue the victims. Despite life-saving measures, the woman succumbed to her injuries, which were predominantly on the right side of her body, including the hip region and upper limb.
While authorities have not released the victim’s identity, CBS News has reached out to the Royal Bahamas Police Force for more information. Witnesses from the United States who claimed to have witnessed the aftermath of the attack have also been contacted by CBS News.
This tragic incident follows closely on the heels of another fatal shark attack in Mexico. On Saturday, a 26-year-old woman lost her life after being bitten by a shark while swimming with her young daughter. Beachgoers said she managed to get her daughter on a platform before the shark attacked her. Video footage shows horrified bystanders screaming as they tried to save her. According to authorities, her leg was missing, and she bled out before anyone could help her.
Although shark attacks are rare in the Bahamas, there have been several reported incidents in recent months. In September of last year, a tourist from the U.S. was killed by a shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas. The 58-year-old woman, a passenger on the Harmony of the Seas cruise ship, was participating in an excursion near Green Cay when a bull shark attacked her. Despite being taken to a local hospital, she did not survive.
Shark attacks are a global concern, with 108 alleged shark-human interactions reported worldwide in 2022, according to the International Shark Attack File. The United States had the highest number of confirmed unprovoked attacks, with Florida leading the way with 16 incidents.