US woman killed in brutal shark attack while paddleboarding in Bahamas as chilling pics show body being taken from beach
A NEWLYWED was killed following a shark attack while paddle boarding in the Bahamas.
The woman, who was visiting from Boston, suffered serious injuries from the deadly attack that occurred near the Sandals resort in western New Providence.
The attack was first announced by the .
The woman's name has not been released, however, officials confirmed that she was 44 years old.
Life-saving procedures were done to try and keep her alive following the attack but injuries to the right side of her body were too severe, police said.
The woman was pronounced dead on the scene after showing "no vital signs of life," per Royal Bahamas Police Force.
"CPR was administered to the victim. However, she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb," Sgt Desiree Ferguson from the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
The woman was with a male relative at the time of the attack and both of them were rescued by a lifeguard on a boat rescue.
They were about three-quarters of a mile away from the shore when she was bitten by the shark, police said.
The woman had just gotten married only a day before the horrific attack, reported .
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Chilling photos showed the woman's covered body being taken away on a gurney before being loaded into an ambulance.
"According to our initial reports, the female along with a male relative were paddle boarding just near the resort in Western New Providence," Ferguson said.
"A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening when out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative, and brought them to safety."
Witness Debra DeWeese who was also vacationing in the area told that people on the beach could hear blood-curdling screams as the attack occurred.
"I can't imagine what the husband is going through," DeWeese said in a Facebook post adding that "the staff and some guests are a bit traumatized."
Ferguson noted that it took a few hours to pull the woman out of the water while a wheelchair was used for the man, who is believed to be her husband.
"We extend our heartfelt condolences...for this most unfortunate situation," Ferguson said.
In a statement, Sandals Resorts said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest while on a paddleboarding activity nearly a mile from the shore.
"We wish to express our heartfelt condolences to the guest’s family and loved ones.
"We remain in close contact with them and are providing all support possible during this difficult time."
It's unclear at this time what kind of shark attacked the woman, however, tiger sharks and bull sharks are known to live off the coast of the Bahamas.
Fatal shark attacks are rare, said Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida.
Naylor told that there have only been a couple of shark-related deaths reported in the Bahamas in the past five years.
However, he noted that there is a "huge" tourist population with a lot of people in the water, particularly visitors who want to look at sharks from their fishing boats.
"So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be," he told the outlet.
There are 30 to 40 shark species around the Bahamas but the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark, and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency, he added.
"Usually, it’s an accidental bite. They think it’s something else,"; said Naylor.
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"Once in a while, they’ll actually single out people, and it’s very intentional."
Since 1580, there have been at least 33 unprovoked shark attacks reported in the Bahamas.
