Current:Home > InvestBoston tourist killed by shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police say -LegacyBuild Academy
Boston tourist killed by shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas, police say
View
Date:2025-04-27 07:41:53
A woman visiting the Bahamas from Boston was killed by a shark while she was paddleboarding off the coast of a resort on Monday, authorities said.
The 44-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, was less than a mile from the shoreline of a Sandals resort when she was attacked, said Royal Bahamas Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson.
A lifeguard saw what happened, got in a rescue boat and brought the woman, along with a male relative who was uninjured, back to the shore of New Providence, an island in the Bahamas.
"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," said Ferguson.
Medical technicians determined that the woman died at the scene, according to a news release from the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Authorities have not said what kind of shark attacked the woman.
Recent shark attacks
Two weeks ago, a 47-year-old German woman went missing after she encountered a shark in the waters off West End, Grand Bahama, according to Reuters. In June, an Iowa woman had her leg amputated after she was bitten by a shark in the Bahamas. And, in September 2022, a 58-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was killed in a shark attack that occurred while she was snorkeling with her family off the coast of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
On Saturday, a Mexican woman was killed in a shark attack after she was bitten while swimming with her five-year-old daughter off the coast of Melaque.
Shark attacks are uncommon
Shark attacks, especially those that are fatal, are rare occurrences, said Gavin Naylor, the program director of the International Shark Attack File, a database which tracks such incidents.
Last year, there were 57 unprovoked bites around the planet, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the file, based out of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida. In the Bahamas, there have been at least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks since 1580, the file states.
Naylor said there is a strong correlation between shark attacks and the number of people and sharks in the water at the same time. He said that, while this may be an obvious point, it reiterates that sharks are not intentionally going after humans.
Sharks are known by researchers to bite people when they are confused or curious, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For instance, if a shark sees someone splashing in the water, it may try to investigate, leading to an accidental attack.
"If people were targeted by sharks, we'd see 1,000 bites a day. We don't," Naylor said. "In fact, humans and sharks do their best to avoid one another."
Christopher Cann is a breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him via email at ccann@usatoday.com or follow him on X @ChrisCannFL.
veryGood! (77246)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Senegal’s opposition leader could run for president after a court overturns a ruling barring his bid
- Changes to Georgia school accountability could mean no more A-to-F grades for schools and districts
- Janet Yellen says the Trump administration’s China policies left the US more vulnerable
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- The Shohei Ohani effect: Jersey sales, ticket prices soar after signing coveted free agent
- Woman and man riding snowmachine found dead after storm hampered search in Alaska
- Palestinians blame U.S. as Israel-Hamas war takes a soaring toll on civilians in the Gaza Strip
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Florida teachers file federal suit against anti-pronoun law in schools
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case
- Former British soldier to stand trial over Bloody Sunday killings half a century ago
- Horoscopes Today, December 14, 2023
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Oprah Winfrey opens up about using weight-loss medication: Feels like relief
- Thieves argued they should face lesser charge because their stolen goods were on sale
- Q&A: Catherine Coleman Flowers Talks COP28, Rural Alabama, and the Path Toward a ‘Just Transition’
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Here's How You Can Score Free Shipping on EVERYTHING During Free Shipping Day 2023
Alabama’s plan for nation’s first execution by nitrogen gas is ‘hostile to religion,’ lawsuit says
Putin questions Olympic rules for neutral Russian athletes at Paris Games
Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
Judge in Trump's 2020 election case pauses proceedings amid dispute over immunity
Few US adults would be satisfied with a possible Biden-Trump rematch in 2024, AP-NORC poll shows
Earliest version of Mickey Mouse set to become public domain in 2024, along with Minnie, Tigger