Key Takeaways:
• German tourist, 30, died following a shark attack while sailing near Spain’s Canary Islands.
• Victim lost a leg during the shark attack, and later succumbed to a heart attack during a rescue operation.
• Shark bites, although rare, have resulted in 14 fatalities worldwide within the past year, with Australia leading in the number of unprovoked shark attacks.
• This incident follows recent shark attacks in Jamaica, Australia, Hawaii, and Mexico, resulting in fatalities.
Shark Attack in the Atlantic
In another unexpected encounter with marine life, a 30-year-old German tourist lost her life following a shark attack in the Atlantic off Spain’s Canary Islands. She was swimming beside a British catamaran when the deadly incident occurred.
The Incident
According to the Spanish coastguard, the woman was sailing 278 nautical miles southwest of the island Gran Canaria when the shark attacked. Following the attack, she lost a leg and suffered a heart attack later while being transported by a rescue helicopter.
Emergency Response
Emergency services were alerted at 1255 GMT. A medical evacuation was activated, involving a military plane, a helicopter, and coordination with the Moroccan coastguard. The victim was boarded onto the helicopter around 1800 GMT en route to a hospital in Las Palmas. Unfortunately, she succumbed en route, as revealed by the coastguard spokesperson.
The Vessel
The vessel, the Dalliance Chichester, had departed from the port of Las Palmas on September 14, as per boat-tracking website vesselfinder.com.
Increasing Incidences Worldwide
While shark attacks are infrequently reported, the incident adds to a growing tally of such instances. There were 69 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks with 14 fatalities reported last year, according to data from the International Shark Attack File.
Australia’s Grim Statistics
Australia accounted for around 22% of unprovoked shark attacks globally in 2023 with an unusually high number of fatalities. This comes after a surfer died from injuries sustained during a shark attack, while another lost his leg to a great white shark.
Recent Shark Attacks
Less than a month ago, a shark claimed the life of a 16-year-old high school student in Jamaica. Earlier, in Hawaii, surfer Tamayo Perry lost his life to a shark attack off the island of Oahu. A young fisherman in Mexico also faced a tragic demise off the Pacific coast, when a shark attacked him while he was diving for scallops in January.
The occurrence of shark attacks worldwide, although rare, is a cause for concern. These incidents stress the need for ongoing research, surveillance, and effective safety measures to mitigate the risk posed to humans, who often unknowingly find themselves in shark-infested waters.