A woman tragically lost her life in a shark attack while vacationing, as witnesses discovered her injured and bleeding heavily from a shark bite that severed her arm.
Arlene Lillis, aged 56, was swimming close to the shoreline in the US Virgin Islands when bystanders heard a distressing scream. Initially thinking she was in trouble, they soon noticed the severe arm injury she sustained from the shark attack.
Following the attack, where she lost part of her arm below the elbow, Arlene struggled to communicate when rescued. Two brave swimmers managed to bring her ashore and urgently sought help from onlookers to call for medical assistance. They improvised a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from her wound.
One of the rescuers, Christopher Carroll, a former lifeguard, shared, “She was speaking, and I tried to comfort her.” The other swimmer, Ryan Connot, mentioned that Arlene managed to reveal her name before expressing fear of her impending fate. Despite efforts to save her, the loss of blood proved fatal.
A neighbor, Andrew Gamble, described Arlene as a dedicated mother from Minnesota, USA, who once cared for an injured stray dog, highlighting her compassionate nature.
The incident took place near the shore in western St Croix, with authorities responding promptly to the scene. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Arlene succumbed to her injuries, confirmed Lt. Gov Tregenza Roach. While initial reports suggested a possible second victim, subsequent searches yielded no additional casualties.
Officials have not yet identified the shark species involved in the attack. They noted that while shark sightings are common, shark attacks in the US Virgin Islands are infrequent.
Nicole Angeli from the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources stated that such incidents are rare, with the recent attack being the second in a decade. Plans are underway to enhance safety measures and awareness regarding wildlife encounters at tourist sites.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing, as authorities seek to understand the circumstances that led to the shark’s proximity to the shore. In the Caribbean, including the US Virgin Islands, there have been 79 reported unprovoked shark attacks since 1749, with four incidents in the US territory, according to the International Shark Attack File based in Florida.