Police at Montagu Beach on Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Austin Fernander
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
AN American woman died after a shark attack while snorkelling with family near Green Cay yesterday.
The woman was brought to Montagu Beach after the attack, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
At Montagu Beach, press liaison officer Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters that shortly after 2pm police received reports of a shark attack near Green Cay.
“Information is that a family from Pennsylvania came in this morning via cruise ship, they booked a tour with a local company that took them to Green Cay, about a half mile just northwest of Rose Island,” she said at the Montagu docking ramp yesterday.
According to CSP Skippings, Green Cay is known for snorkelling excursions, however the beach has been temporarily closed by officials for such operations.
A source said the victim and their family were passengers on board the Harmony of the Seas cruise ship.
CSP Skippings said the family was reportedly snorkelling in the ocean when family members observed a bull shark attacking the victim.
“The family was reportedly snorkelling in waters and that area is known for visitors to snorkel. It is further reported that family members observed a bull shark attacking the female,” said CSP Skippings.
“Family members along with operators from the boating company were able to rescue the female and brought her on board the tour company’s boat and brought her here to the Montagu ramp which is the closest docking facility,” she added.
The chief superintendent said the victim’s identity is unknown at this time; however, it is reported that she is in her late 50’s and the mother of the family.
The victim sustained injuries to her upper body according to CSP Skippings.
“I would simply say to the upper extremities, I am not going to be specific at this time,” she said when asked about the woman’s injuries.
EMS were called to the Montagu ramp, where the victim was later pronounced dead.
CSP Skippings said due diligence has been performed as the US Embassy, Ministry of Tourism, US Coast Guard have been informed about the shark attack.
She also extended condolences to the family of the deceased.
“It’s just an unfortunate situation that occurred. I want to extend condolences to the family of the victim and to all extended family on behalf of our commissioner of police Mr Clayton Leroy Fernander.
“We give you our condolences and we will work arduously to investigate and bring it to a closure, so that we can return your loved one to you in the shortest reasonable amount of time.”
An investigation is continuing.
In 2019, an American woman, Jordan Lindsey, 21, died after she was savaged by sharks while swimming with her mother near Rose Island on June 26 of that year.
Comments
Jetflt 1 year, 7 months ago
Sympathies to the family of this lady. They need to put an END to these tour operators that take tourists out to feed the sharks. it is so bad, you can't fish anymore. The sharks hear the boat motor and they are all around your boat. And the government lists sharks as protected so you can't catch or shoot them like we used to do. I know one thing....I don't have any shark problems when I go fishing, and I'll leave it at that!
GodSpeed 1 year, 7 months ago
All they care about is making a few dollars. RIP.
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 7 months ago
I saw someone cleaning fish and throwing the fish guts in the water at the end of Prince charles just a few feet from people swimming. We are asking for it. The insanity is mind boggling then we're all surprised. Montagu ramp is another one
Gab 1 year, 7 months ago
I I completely agree STOP THE SHARK FEEDING. This was a problem in America and after so many Shark attacks they banned Shark feeding. Guess what no more SHARK ATTACKS! Sharks are associating humans with food and we are the cause of it.
IslandWarrior 1 year, 7 months ago
The Bahamas has become so shark infested that it's now dangerous to swim on public beaches; the sharks are now so used to human feeding interaction that they are now interpreting every human encounter as a feeding opportunity. And this is where the danger comes in for the unexpecting diver or swimmer. And of cause, to protect the tourist-friendly - the safe image of the Bahamas, dangerous 'Shark Infested Waters' signs will never be posted, especially on the waters at the eastern end of New Providence Island where there is the "highest concentration of Tiger Sharks in the world. Sure sharks are protected but protected doesn't mean an 'out of control' population where they become a danger to human life.
themessenger 1 year, 7 months ago
@islandwarrior, actually the largest population of tiger sharks globally is off Maui, the largest aggregation of them recorded off of Norfolk Island Australia. The largest population locally would probably be at Bimini. Having said that there is no question that the habit of tour and dive operators feeding sharks here and and in the Exumas has contributed negatively to the way sharks are now interacting with people in the water.
TalRussell 1 year, 7 months ago
I'm sure the colony's duly licensed and insured operator offering snorkeling at your own risks be takin' youself and family members out to experience a snorkeling adventure amongst the colony's off of Rose Island seawater sharks, is in possession of individual family members signatures affixed paperworks ... thus the operator shall be excused from all known and unknown list life endangering liabilities** ― Yes?
bahamianson 1 year, 7 months ago
Need to make it illegal to feed sharks in any capacity. All dive operations feeding sharks to attract them to their site should stop . When you go to the zoo , the animals are in cages . You still see signs saying do not feed the animals. Yet , we feed a predator whom has now equated food with humans. Even if you do not have food in hand, the shark will still nibble to test. Stop feeding sharks, stop swimming with them, stop swimming with dolphins, stop rock climbing, stop parachuting out of planes. All of these have risks that the participant has to be willing to face.
Dawes 1 year, 7 months ago
According to CSP Skippings, Green Cay is known for snorkeling excursions, however the beach has been temporarily closed by officials for such operations. When did they shut that beach down. I may have missed it but there has been no notice on the beach or in the newspapers that Green Cay was shut down. If there was i am sure there would have been an outcry. Condolences to the family, unfortunately there is always this risk. As others have mentioned we need to get serious on disposing of fish carcasses. In addition some of these tour boats clean the fish when the tourist are swimming which is asking for trouble (i am not saying this is what happened here).
Sickened 1 year, 7 months ago
Green Cay is a private island and has nothing to do with where the tour boats go. It's close yes but the boats don't pull up on the island in order to unload the guests. "Closing" Green Cay is stupid, if it can even be done. It's like closing Rose Island or Norman's Cay.
ScubaSteve 1 year, 7 months ago
I've snorkeled at Green Cay more times than I can count. Most recently was just last month with my wife and kids. In all my years there, I've never once seen a single shark! Very heartbreaking and sad news. Also, and more importantly, NO WHERE in the news or article did it say anything about the tour operator feeding or chumming the water.
tribanon 1 year, 7 months ago
A truly sad and no doubt horrifying incident for the family of the deceased woman. But as tragic as this incident is, many more people on this planet are struck and killed by lightning each year than die from a shark attack.
Nevertheless there are few things the human psyche fears more than ending up on a lower rung of the food chain ladder. Small wonder so many Bahamians do not know how to swim and are at a much greater risk of drowning than ever being on a shark's dinner plate.
In any event, at the rate the Communist Chinese and other Asians are now eating parts of sharks, these types of rare incidents will soon be a thing of the past.
bahamianson 1 year, 7 months ago
2021-2022 lightning fatalities 17, shark attacks 2022 so far is 61
tribanon 1 year, 7 months ago
You're comparing apples with bananas. Your lightning fatalities number of 17 is for U.S. only whereas your shark attacks number of 61 is worldwide.
The documented number of lightning fatalities around the world currently exceeds 4000 per year and is compiled from national datasets in articles that have been published formally or informally for multiple-year periods ending in 1979 or later. And this number of 4000 is known to be too small, since data are missing in many countries that are expected to have significant vulnerability to lightning in many aspects of society together with a large frequency of lightning flashes.
becks 1 year, 7 months ago
Lot of misinformation in these comments. We’ve had 2 fatal shark attacks in 3 years, both in the same general area….Green Cay/ Rose Island. Yet zero shark attack fatalities in the area where the highest number of human-shark encounters takes place…South-West New Providence. There are hundreds of people, scuba divers,snorkellers and swimmers in the water interacting with 20,30,40 sharks at a time, twice a day, every day, 365 days a year. And that has been going on for over 30 years. During the 1990s and early 2000s, when there were 3 scuba companies operating out of Coral Harbour and South Ocean there were, on average, between 1,000 and 2,000 divers and snorkellers in the water swimming and diving with sharks during feedings every month. No fatalities or even major injuries. So if the problem were really the sharks then there would have been hundreds if not thousands of bites and numerous deaths out there between 1990 and now. No, the problem is not sharks or the number of them…its the uncontrolled and unregulated fish-cleaning,chumming and unregulated wildlife feeding combined with untrained boat crews and far too many people in the water. It’s a cowboy free-for-all in that area.
becks 1 year, 7 months ago
In total, statistics from the Florida-based International Shark Attack File show that only about 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, the highest number in the region.
tribanon 1 year, 7 months ago
Thanks.
Jetflt 1 year, 7 months ago
They should make it opens season on sharks. They're not stupid creatures. You start reducing the population and you'll soon see them moving away from shallow waters and people.
ScubaSteve 1 year, 7 months ago
By far and away, this is the most ridiculous post I've seen on this website in many, many years. First off, killing off the sharks isn't going to "teach" the few that survive to stay away from shallow waters or people. Secondly, the mere presence of sharks brings in millions and millions of dollars to the Bahamas due to the dive tourism industry.
becks 1 year, 7 months ago
Not to mention sharks keep the ocean healthy.
SP 1 year, 7 months ago
I really don't get why people are connecting this incident with feeding sharks while there is no mention of feeding sharks in the article. I have snorkeled at Green Cay numerous times and no one ever feeds sharks there.
Ironically, the last shark attack was also a woman. Has anyone thought of the very real possibility that these women were menstruating at the time?
After literally decades of taking snorkeling trips to Rose Island, Green Cay, the Abacos, Exumas, and several other Island destinations I have NEVER heard the tour operator warn menstruating women not to enter the water!
This should be a mandatory common-sense safety measure.
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