An unidentified 30-year-old German woman was a crew member of the Dalliance Chichester. Per PEOPLE, the British vessel "sailed southbound from the Gran Canaria capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria." Two days along the vessel's journey, the woman was swimming next to the catamaran. That's when a shark emerged, attacking the woman by biting one of her legs off.
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After the attack, the woman proceeded to have a heart attack. Coastguards flew from Gran Canaria to evacuate the woman and transport her to the hospital. Unfortunately, she died on the way to a medical facility. Her body was taken to the Doctor Negrin Hospital, where she was formally pronounced dead.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, shark attacks near the Canary Islands are rare. There have only been six documented unprovoked shark attacks in the area. The tragedy follows a slow, sure series of unprecedented shark-related attacks.
Shark Bites Off A Tourist's Leg While She's Swimming
Per WBRC, last month, Lulu Gribbin, a teenager, was attacked by a shark at Seacrest Beach in Florida. This attack occurred only 90 minutes after another shark attack in the area. "Victim one received significant injuries to one upper and one lower extremity, both requiring the application of tourniquets. This victim was transported in critical condition via Okaloosa Med Flight to Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola," the outlet reports.
"Victim number two received what's been described as flesh wounds to the right lower extremity, or her right foot, that victim was transported by fire district personnel to Ascension Bay Medical Center where she is reportedly in stable condition."
Additionally, while Gribbin recovered, new legislation was passed regarding shark attacks. Lulu's Law is meant to "encourage authorized local, state, tribal, and federal government authorities to quickly deploy alerts via mobile phone alert messages to the public if a shark has attacked someone, or if the conditions enhancing the possibility of a shark attack are present." Overall, in the wake of so many shark-related incidents over the past year, an official bill is certainly the correct course of action. Similarly, I hope it leads to meaningful change.
