It was a tragedy in the Bahamas, as a tourist from Massachusetts was killed by a shark on Monday while paddleboarding near a Sandals resort.
A lifeguard jumped into action to try to save the woman, but her injuries were ultimately too severe.
The victim, a 44-year-old woman, was identified by Bahamian authorities as Lauren Erickson Van Wart. She was reportedly paddleboarding with a male relative when the attack happened, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said. Sources in the Bahamas are saying she had just gotten married, but we are still working to confirm if that man was her husband.
According to police, the attack happened just after 11:15 a.m. Monday. The woman was less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. A lifeguard on duty saw what was happening and went out on a rescue boat to try to save the woman.
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The lifeguard quickly noticed she had serious injuries to her right hip and right arm. She also had no vital signs. The lifeguard attempted CPR but the woman died at the scene.
It wasn't immediately clear what kind of shark attacked her, a police representative told NBC News. Between 30 to 40 shark species live around the Bahamas, although the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency.
Van Wart was a guest at the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort, a representative for the company said in a statement.
“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," the statement said. "We remain in close contact with them and are providing all support possible during this difficult time."
Van Wart worked for Curriculum Associates as a principal editor of instruction, a company spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
"Our team is heartbroken and grieving the loss of a dear and trusted colleague and friend," Curriculum Associates CEO Rob Waldron said in a statement. "Lauren was a beloved member of our math editorial team, and she infused her deep dedication to students and educators into every material she touched. Her commitment to excellence and outstanding work was driven by a higher purpose, focused on improving learning outcomes for all. Our Curriculum Associates community is mourning this tragedy and extends our deepest love and support to Lauren's wonderful husband and all of her family."
Shark experts said that while these types of attacks are rare, tourists ought to beware, as the Bahamas have been a shark sanctuary for years.
"In most cases it's mistaken identity," said Nick Whitney, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium. "Humans just happen to be unfortunate enough to be swimming in the water in a place where the shark was feeding on something else and the shark accidentally bites the person or investigates the person and uses their teeth to do that investigation."
Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said there have been a couple of shark-related fatalities reported in the Bahamas in the past five years.
He noted that the Bahamas has a “huge” tourist population, adding that there are a lot of people in the water and a lot of visitors who want to view sharks from a fishing boat or dive with them.
“So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,” he said.
Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Naylor said. Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File.
At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file.
The Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that authorities in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing late last month after she was apparently attacked while diving.
Last year, a shark killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay.
Most shark attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas, although a rare shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin three years ago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
