This week, a German tourist lost his leg in a terrifying and rare shark attack near the Canary Islands, a Spanish island off the northwestern coast of Africa that is a popular year-round travel destination.
Accordingly ReutersThe unidentified 30-year-old woman was sailing on a British-flagged catamaran that left Gran Canaria on Saturday. She was swimming alongside the boat about 110 miles west of Dakhla, Western Sahara, when the shark bit her on the leg shortly before 4pm local time.
The crew made an urgent call to the Spanish rescue service Salvamento Marítimo, which quickly deployed an air force search and rescue helicopter from Gran Canaria. ProtectorEmergency crews also contacted nearby ships, and at least one vessel offered assistance until the helicopter arrived.
Unfortunately, the rescue operation was unsuccessful; the woman died of cardiorespiratory failure while on the helicopter being airlifted to a hospital in the town of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
An investigation has since been launched into the incident, with a spokesman for the Canary Islands courts confirming that any case of accidental death was consistent. However, no witnesses or emergency personnel were called to give evidence. The Guardia Civil police force also said it was investigating the matter.
While shark attacks are generally rare, attacks in the Canary Islands are particularly unusual. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File, there was an increase in attacks worldwide in 2023, with 69 unprovoked shark attacks reported, with 14 fatalities. However, the database only recorded six shark-related incidents in total in Spain's history.