A 30-year-old woman's vacation turned tragic rather quickly as she was attacked and killed by a shark. The shark attack happened at a popular tourist spot. The German tourist was on a boat southwest of Fran Canaria near Western Sahara when the shark attack occurred. While the woman's identity remains unknown, her unfortunate fate is known. By the time the shark attack victim reached the hospital, she was pronounced dead.
30-Year-Old Woman Attacked And Killed By A Shark
Image via Fiona Ayerst/Shutterstock
The LadBible shares that around "3:55pm on Monday (16 September), the crew onboard the UK registered catamaran Dalliance Chichester sent a distress message to the Spanish maritime rescue service which dispatched a rescue helicopter to their location." According to the same report, the woman and the catamaran had departed from Gran Canaria on September 14 and were making their way towards he coast of Western Africa.
Due to the location of the boat at the time of the distress call, British and Moroccan coastguards were also informed of the incident. No details have surfaced explaining exactly what happened or what lead to the woman being attacked by the shark, however, details of what happened after have been released.
"The woman was airlifted from the boat to Doctor Negrin Hospital in Las Palmas but was unfortunately pronounced dead upon arrival." She had lost her leg in the attack and later suffered a cardiac arrest. While shark attacks do not always result in death, this 30-year-old woman was unfortunately killed by a shark that day.
Shark Attacks In The Area
Although this shark attack is devastating and terrifying, shark attacks near the Canary Islands are extremely rare. According to the Florida Museum, from 1580 to present day, there have only been 7 documented shark attacks in the area. The United States has had dramatically more, reaching a total number of 1,640 since 1580.
However, although shark attacks are not common, that does not mean that the sharks are not there. The National Library of Medicine shares details on sharks in the area. They stated, "On the coast of West Africa, sharks are well represented, both by number and species." Although, they also confirm that while there are a number of "species potentially dangerous to man, little data is available concerning shark attacks in this part of the world."
What Causes A Shark To Attack?
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Although the details of this shark attack and the woman being killed by a shark are unclear, there are certain things that can cause a shark to attack. First and foremost, sharks are very curious creatures. Larger sharks do feed on mammals relative to human size, such as seals and sea lions. So, if a shark "sees a human splashing in the water, it may try to investigate." Unfortunately for us, their inquisitive bite is enough to kill us.
Another instance is if a human is swimming in their food. For example, some smaller sharks feed on schools of fish. If you see a large school of fish swim past and or around you be weary. If a shark is chasing them, it may mistake you or you may become collateral damage of their meal time.
Also, some people — in hopes of seeing a shark — will pour blood or chum into the water. You do not want to do this. A document released by UPENN shares that "bleeding prompts an even more aggressive attack and will often provoke the participation of sharks that are uninvolved, or...are usually docile." Do not attempt to go swimming with sharks unless with a professional.
