An American woman had her foot bitten off by a concussion while snorkeling in the Turks and Caicos Islands – and the foot could not be reattached as it took a rescue plane six hours to arrive.
The 22-year-old from Connecticut was celebrating her graduation from Yale University with her friend on the island when the horror attack happened, a local source on the island told .
She had signed up for a private ocean tour and was snorkeling off Grace Bay Beach at Bone Yard dive site around 3pm on Wednesday when she was attacked by what is believed to be a Caribbean reef shark, the source said.
Shocking photos show the woman’s bitten off left foot, still in the fin. The boat’s captain reportedly dived to save her before she was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
Then he pulled her foot out of the water and put it on ice. However, it was too late to reconnect after waiting six hours for an emergency plane to fly the woman, whose name has not been released publicly, from the hospital on the island to a hospital in Miami.
An American woman visiting Turks and Caicos had her foot bitten off by a shark while snorkeling
The 22-year-old from Connecticut signed up for an ocean tour and was snorkeling off Grace Bay Beach at Bone Yard dive site around 3pm Wednesday when she was attacked by a shark
She was celebrating her graduation from Yale University with her friend on the island, a local source told
A staffer described her as an “impressive young woman” and said she just ran a marathon in the Netherlands last week.
“It was an extremely rare incident.” “I’ve lived here for 14 years and there’s only been one other incident where there was a shark bite and nothing was stolen,” he told
“It’s shocking what happened, I mourn with her.”
The woman and her friend were staying at a vacation home owned by her parents when they went on a private snorkeling trip that passed inside the reef near Grace Bay Beach.
The water was said to have been calm and clear before she was attacked by a suspected Caribbean reef shark.
The ship’s captain, who was trained in first aid, put a tourniquet on her leg and prevented her from bleeding out.
Around 3 p.m., an employee called the police and requested an ambulance. She was immediately taken back to the dock where rescue workers were waiting for her.
She was retrieved from the sea and placed in an ambulance within 15 minutes of the attack, potentially saving her life.
The captain then dove back into the water and managed to find her foot, still in the fin, and it was placed in a bucket of ice before time ran out to surgically reattach it.
The woman’s condition is stable and she was due to pick up her parents at a Miami hospital.
She was with her friend on a trip operated by Big Blue Collective, where private dive charters start from $1,795.
“The extremely rare and unfortunate incident that occurred off the reef yesterday involving a snorkeler and a shark occurred during a private trip,” a company spokesman said.
“Only two people were in the water, which was clear and calm, when a suspected Caribbean reef shark injured a snorkeler in what is known as a mix-up in diving circles.
“The calm, quick and measured response of one of our captains and office team resulted in the casualty being recovered from the sea and being transported by ambulance within 15 minutes, saving her from a potentially life-threatening situation.”
“We applaud all the efforts of our team, paramedics and first responders.” “Our thoughts are with the victim, his family and loved ones at this time.”
The woman was snorkeling in the reef near Grace Bay Beach when she was bitten by the shark
And a spokesman for the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Environment and Coastal Resources said: “Yesterday at Bone Yard dive site in Princess Alexandra National Park, a 22-year-old visitor from Connecticut was seriously injured while snorkeling.”
“Immediately after the incident, at around 3:07 p.m., the police control center was called.
“Officials from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force responded quickly and ensured the injured visitor was transported quickly to Cheshire Hall Medical Center for emergency care.”
“The matter is still under investigation by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.”
“Although incidents like this are highly unusual in the Turks and Caicos Islands, swimmers, snorkelers, divers and boaters are reminded to exercise caution on the water.”
There were many reports that the woman lost her leg after snorkeling in the waters near the Blue Haven resort based on a police statement, but the details were wrong.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force later deleted her statement on Facebook.
Shark attacks are extremely rare, and the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File recorded just 57 unprovoked bites worldwide last year, five of which were fatal.
Most shark attacks are said to be mistaken, when sharks mistake humans for prey.
However, oceanic whitetip sharks, which French naval officer Jacques Cousteau called “the most dangerous of all sharks,” can be aggressive towards humans. According to the Smithsonian, they pose a danger to those stranded at sea and are very powerful when feeding.
Tiger sharks are also among the most dangerous sharks for attacking humans, with National Geographic claiming that they are second only to great whites when it comes to attacking humans.
Experts recommend staying close to shore and swimming with a friend for safety reasons, and not wearing shiny jewelry or clothing that could attract sharks.