Shark attack injures 2 American women, one seriously, in the Bahamas

[ad_1]

Two American tourists suffered injuries in an apparent shark attack off the Bahamas on Friday evening, according to local authorities. Details about their conditions aren't clear, although one is said to be seriously hurt.

The tourists, both women, were swimming in the popular Bahamian resort area Bimini Bay when the attack happened at around 6:30 p.m., said the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Bimini Bay is part of the westernmost island in the Bahamas, some 50 miles from Miami.

"Initial reports indicate that the victims, both U.S.A. residents, sustained injuries while swimming in the waters at Bimini Bay," the police wrote in a news release, which noted an investigation into the incident was underway.

Both tourists first received medical attention at a nearby clinic before being airlifted to New Providence, a different Bahamian island, for further treatment, according to the release. Police said the injuries to one of the victims were considered serious, as of Saturday.

CBS News contacted the Royal Bahamas Police Force for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.

The Bahamas has one of the world's highest rates of shark attacks, although data shows they are still extremely rare. There have been just 34 confirmed attacks in the Bahamas over the last 400 years, according to the International Shark Attack File, a database that tracks shark encounters with humans worldwide. That tally is the ninth-highest of all countries tracked, despite how small it seems.

At least two other Americans have been bitten by sharks in the Bahamas since 2023. In December of that year, a woman from Boston died in a shark attack while paddle boarding with a family member, police said at the time. Shortly after, in January 2024, a 10-year-old boy from Maryland sustained a bite while participating in a shark tank expedition at another Bahamian resort. He was hospitalized for a bite on the leg, according to police.