New bride mauled to death by shark one day after wedding in The Bahamas
A woman has died in a shark attack while paddleboarding in The Bahamas just one day after her wedding.
The victim, aged in her 40s and visiting from Boston, USA, was mauled to death in the sea near a Sandals resort she was staying at on Monday.
She had tied the knot with her husband on Sunday and was less than a mile off Cable Beach in the western end of New Providence Island when the shark struck.
Police said she was with a male relative at the time and the pair were both rescued by a lifeguard.
But the newlywed bride had suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including her hip and right upper leg, according to officers.
Emergency services carried out CPR but she could not be saved.
‘Shortly after 11.15am, police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, was subsequently attacked by a shark,’ Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement.
‘According to initial reports, the female, along with a male relative, were paddleboarding just at the rear of a resort in western Providence, some three-quarter miles out from the shoreline, when she was bitten by the shark.
‘A lifeguard on duty saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat retrieved the victim along with a male relative and brought them to safety.’
Sgt Desiree Ferguson added: ‘We extend our heartfelt condolences for this most unfortunate situation.’
A Sandals Resorts spokesman said: ‘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.
‘We remain in close contact with them and are providing all support possible during this difficult time.’
While fatal shark attacks are not common in The Bahamas, at least two others have been reported recently.
On November 21, a 47-year-old German woman went missing during a diving excursion in waters off West End, Grand Bahama, after encountering a shark, police said.
In September 2022, a 58-year-old American woman was killed in a shark attack while snorkeling with her family in waters of New Providence.
Last month, a woman was left with ‘extreme injuries’ after a shark bit her on the head during a dive.
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