Two American Women Injured in Apparent Shark Attack in the Bahamas

The Bahamas have had 34 unprovoked shark attacks dating back to 1580, according to the Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File. This makes the Bahamas the ninth-highest of all the tracked countries, with the U.S. (1640), Australia (706) and the Republic of South Africa (262) in the top three, the data tracker shows. Americans been bitten by sharks two other times in the Bahamas since 2023. In December 2023, a 44-year-old woman from Boston was killed in a shark attack while paddle boarding with a family member. "CPR was administered to the victim; however, she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb," former Royal Bahamas Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson told USA TODAY about the attack at the time. Then in January 2024, a 10-year-old boy from Maryland was hospitalized after being bitten on his right leg while participating in a shark tank expedition at a Bahamian resort.

Two American women visiting the Bahamas over the weekend were attacked by a shark, local authorities said, with at least one of the victims sustaining serious injuries.

A shark has attacked two American tourists in the Bahamas, with one suffering “serious” injuries, according to local officials. The unidentified women were swimming together off Bimini Bay at about 6:30 p.m. Friday when the predator struck, according to Loop Caribbean News. After being rushed to a local clinic, the two tourists were then airlifted to nearby New Providence for more advanced care, the outlet said, without detailing the exact nature of their injuries or the type of shark thought to be responsible. “Initial reports indicate that the victims, both USA residents, sustained injuries,” the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a social media post.