Horrifying moments as woman’s hands were bitten off by shark
The brother-in-law of a woman who had her hands bitten off by a shark has described how the horrific attack unfolded, as a fundraiser has been launched to support the victim and her family, Daily Mail reports.
The Canadian couple ‘lived what can only be described as a nightmare’ during what was meant to be a relaxing holiday to the Turks and Caicos Islands earlier this month, their relative said.
The 55-year-old woman had left the beach to join her husband ‘in only hip deep clear water’ when the predator, believed to be a seven-foot bull shark, launched its vicious attack, he said.
The relative described in chilling detail how the shark bumped into the helpless woman’s legs before circling around her 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,’ he said.
The woman’s horrified husband is said to have rushed to help her, placing himself between his wife and the shark and managing to wrestle the beast and get it away from her ‘until she walked out of the water and collapsed on the beach’.
The severely injured victim was given first aid on the beach before paramedics took her to a local hospital for treatment.
The victim suffered life-changing injuries losing both of her hands, with one reportedly amputated at the wrist and the other part-way up her forearm, but her wounded leg is said to have been saved.
She was later flown back to Canada by air ambulance for further surgery and recovery, her brother-in-law shared.
He said his brother and sister-in-law’s lives had been ‘completely altered… in the blink of an eye,’ and asked that people contribute to the fundraiser he set up to support them through the horrific experience.
Local authorities claimed last week that the woman had ‘engaged’ with the shark and attempted to take pictures of it, but this has since been denied by witnesses who said the attack was unprovoked.
Police and environmental officials confirmed the attack which occurred in the waters off Thompson’s Cove Beach in central Providenciales at around 10.30 am on Friday, February 7.
They advised the public to remain out of the ocean until the all-clear was issued.
