Horror as female tourist’s hands are severed by shark yards from Caribbean beach after she ‘tried to engage the 6ft predator to take a picture’.
A female tourist has tragically lost both of her hands after being attacked by a shark while vacationing in the Caribbean. The incident occurred last Friday, February 7, off the coast of the Turks and Caicos Islands, when the woman, a 55-year-old Canadian national, was wading in the shallows near Thompson’s Cove Beach, just a few yards from the shore. Reports indicate she was attempting to engage with the 6ft shark and take a picture of it when the predator struck.
Local authorities have confirmed the attack, and witnesses reported that the woman’s family was nearby. Her husband attempted to stop the shark from attacking again after the initial bite. Harrowing images from the scene show a crowd gathering around the woman after she made it back to the beach, with bystanders trying to stem the bleeding from her injured arms. Authorities have yet to confirm the species of shark responsible, but some reports suggest it may have been a bull shark.
shocking pictures show people who appear to be the womans family
Tourists at a nearby villa captured eerie footage of a shark thrashing around in the shallow waters just after the attack. One witness described how the shark lingered for 40 minutes in the area. A relative of the victim stated that the woman managed to walk back to shore after being bitten, though she was also bitten in the thigh. Despite the harrowing situation, she did not lose her leg. Her husband fought desperately to fend off the shark, which continued circling the pair.
The attack occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning, and police and environmental officials were quick to respond. The victim was rushed to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment, and her injuries were later reported as severe. One hand was amputated at the wrist, and the other was lost midway down her forearm. She is now receiving ongoing care in Canada.
Shark bites are rare in the Turks and Caicos Islands, with only one unprovoked attack last year, which was non-fatal. In 2023, a shark attack left an American tourist from Connecticut without her foot after she was bitten while snorkeling. Despite this, shark species such as grey reef sharks, nurse sharks, and bull sharks are known to inhabit the waters around the islands.
Turks & Caicos Islands
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF), 2024 has been a relatively calm year for shark bites globally, with only 47 unprovoked attacks reported, well below the ten-year average. The ISAF also highlighted that the waters off the Turks and Caicos Islands are home to multiple shark species, though attacks remain unusual.
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In light of the tragic incident, the public has been advised to stay out of the ocean until authorities confirm it is safe. The Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has a long history of shark sightings, but shark attacks in the region remain uncommon.