A serene day at the Turks and Caicos beach turned into a nightmare experience for a Canadian visitor when she was attacked by a shark as she posed for a photograph in the sea. The attack happened close to Thompson’s Cove Beach in Providenciales’ center, within close proximity to the shore, on Friday, as per The Sun.

The 55-year-old woman tried to “engage” with the shark, but unexpectedly, it attacked and cut off both of her hands in one blow. Her family members on the beach saw the horrifying moment. In a vain hope to assist, her husband jumped into the sea to fight off the shark.

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Tourists hurried to help, applying cloths to stem the profuse bleeding as she remained on the beach. A witness remembered, “I was there for 40 minutes, and it was still lingering,” speaking of the shark’s lingering presence following the attack.

Details of the Shark Attack

The shark was estimated to have been six feet in length, although its precise species has not been identified. But it’s possible that it might have been a bull shark, which is prevalent in the region. Officials confirmed the incident took place sometime around 10:30 a.m. on February 7 off Blue Hills, Providenciales.

Victim Loses Both Hands

The Rescue teams reached the scene soon and the woman was rushed to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for treatment. She was then airlifted back to Canada for treatment. The woman had one hand cut off at the wrist and the other half way down her forearm. In spite of her extreme injuries, a man who witnessed the accident said that she could walk back onto the shore. She also had a bite to her thigh but did not lose her leg.

As her husband tried to scare the shark away, it reportedly circled back and attacked again before finally retreating. Authorities from the Royal Turks and Caicos Police and environmental officials have confirmed the attack.