A Canadian tourist has lost both her hands after being attacked by a shark while on holiday in the Caribbean, her family says.
The 55-year-old woman, who has not been named by the authorities, was swimming in Providenciales, one of the Turks and Caicos Islands, on the morning of 7 February when a six-foot shark approached her.
Island officials said she had attempted to engage with the shark from the shallows to take photographs.
They did not specify what injuries she had sustained, but said she was “stabilised” at a local hospital before being flown off of the island for further medical care. Her family said she was flown back to Canada for surgery.
The victim’s brother-in-law has now set up a GoFundMe page for her and her husband, where he revealed more details about the encounter.
He said the shark initially bumped into the victim’s legs, before circling back and biting her thigh.
“Not satisfied, the shark came back again and when she put both hands in front of her to protect herself, the shark cut off both of her hands, one at mid forearm and the other at the wrist,” she wrote.
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“Her husband, having rushed back to help, then managed to wrestle away the shark and stayed between her and the shark until she walked out of the water and collapsed on the beach.”
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He said the pair had lived “what can only be described as a nightmare” and the incident had “completely altered their life in the blink of an eye”.
The woman who made the funding page said her brother – the victim’s husband – served Canada through its armed forces for more than 30 years, adding: “It’s our turn to help them.”
The funding page for the couple, made on Sunday, has already raised $23,000 CAD (£12,859).
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