U.S. tourist killed in shark attack while snorkeling in Bahamas
FILE - A bull shark swims off of Jupiter, Florida on May 5, 2022. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
An American tourist was killed by a shark during a vacation in the Bahamas, according to local authorities.
The 58-year-old cruise ship passenger was snorkeling in waters around the Bahamas on Tuesday when the shark attacked.
The Pennsylvania woman was at a popular snorkeling spot near Green Cay in the northern Bahamas, police spokeswoman Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told The Associated Press.
"It’s unfortunate," she said.
Skippings said the woman’s family identified it as a bull shark.
Royal Caribbean International said in a statement that the person died after arriving at a local hospital for treatment. They said the guest was participating in an independent shore excursion.
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"Royal Caribbean International is providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones at this time," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Harmony of the Seas is currently on a 7-night cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral, Fla., on Sunday, Sept. 4."
The incident comes a month after an 8-year-old British boy was attacked by three nurse sharks in the Bahamas.
The majority of shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas, with two reported in 2019, one of them fatal. That incident involved a Southern California woman who was on vacation and was attacked by three sharks near Rose Island, located just a half mile from where Tuesday’s attack occurred.
Related: Long Island shark attack investigated
Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.
Worldwide, there were 137 shark attacks last year, 73 of them unprovoked, according to the International Shark Attack File.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.