Tourist badly injured after approaching shark for photo in Turks and Caicos

A tourist visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands was seriously injured when she was bitten while trying to “engage” with a shark, according to authorities.

The 55-year-old tourist attempted to “engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs,” according to a press release from the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR).

The incident took place in Blue Hills, Providenciales, on Friday, Feb. 7, and the victim was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she was stabilized and transported off the island for further medical attention. She is expected to survive.

The woman’s identity has not been released, but several tabloids report that the tourist is believed to be a Canadian national. Global News has reached out to Global Affairs Canada to confirm if the woman is Canadian, but did not hear back by publication time.

Government officials closed the beach following the incident and reopened it to the public Sunday, Feb. 9, “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water.”

The government didn’t share details of the tourist’s interaction with the shark but did issue a warning to others swimming in the area.

“The DECR would like to urge the public to always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances,” the post read.

Shark bites in the waters off the Turks and Caicos islands are rare, with only one unprovoked non-fatal attack reported last year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

The incident comes after two American tourists were bitten by a shark in the Bahamas earlier this week. The Royal Bahamas Police Force said police in Bimini are investigating after two women were victims of a shark attack and needed to be airlifted for their injuries.

“Initial reports indicate that the victims, both U.S.A. residents, sustained injuries while swimming in the waters at Bimini Bay. They received initial treatment at a local clinic before being airlifted to New Providence for further medical attention. One of the victim’s injuries is listed as serious,” police said.

Rileigh Decker, 20, and Summer Layman, 24, spoke with NBC News after returning to Florida and shared the harrowing details from hospital beds. They said they had jumped off their friend’s yacht and soon after, the shark approached.

“We’re just very grateful to still be here with all of our limbs,” Decker told NBC’s Today show earlier this week.

Decker said after they jumped into the ocean she “felt something nudge my leg.”

“I was like, ‘Summer, what was that?’ And she was like, ‘Don’t scare me like that.’ And probably about two minutes later, we were right by the ladder. I felt my leg get tugged down, and I immediately knew I was bit by a shark,” Decker recalled.

They said their friends immediately pulled them out of the water and wrapped a tourniquet around Decker’s right leg. Shortly after, they realized Layman was also suffering from a shark bite.

“They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I just hadn’t realized until I looked down,” Layman said.

Decker was airlifted to a hospital in the Bahamas and once they were both stable, they were flown back to Florida for Decker to undergo surgery.