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Two U.S. tourists were mauled in a suspected shark attack while swimming in the sea in the Bahamas.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force has launched an investigation after two women, neither of whom have been publicly identified, were injured off Bimini Bay. The incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. on Friday, according to police.
The women were initially transported to a local medical clinic for treatment before both being airlifted to the nearby island of New Providence. One of the victims suffered serious injuries.
An investigation into the attack is ongoing. The Independent has contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for more information.
The popular Bahamas island is situated about 48 nautical miles off the coast of South Florida and is home to less than 2,500 people.
Bimini has a thriving population of sharks including hammerheads nurse, lemon, bull and black-tip reef sharks.
Swimming with sharks in the Bahamas with experienced dive operators is considered safe, with attacks exceedingly rare.
Only 34 shark attacks have been recorded in the Bahamas since records began in the 18th century, according to the latest data from the International Shark Attack File.
The last recorded unprovoked shark attack death involved a female U.S. tourist in December 2023. Lauren Van Wart, 44, from Boston, Massachusetts was staying at Sandles Resort on Cable Beach when she paddle-boarded off the western end of New Providence Island, several miles from the shore.
Police said the woman “suffered significant trauma to the right side of her body” in the attack. Wart was rescued by a lifeguard in a boat before being pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
In April last year, another U.S. tourist was attacked, this time by two sharks.
Marlin Wakeman, 24, was at the Flying Fish Marina on Long Island in the Bahamas when he slipped and fell from a dock and landed in the shark-infested ocean.
The victim was bitten on the shoulder and knee before he was able to pull himself back to dry land. Wakeman received stitches for his injuries, with doctors sharing their surprise that he had managed to keep all of his limbs.
