Woman killed by shark while on holiday in the Bahamas named

A woman killed by a shark while on holiday in the Bahamas has been named.

Lauren Erickson Van Wart was paddleboarding when she was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital Nassau is located.

The 44-year-old, from Boston, was with her husband who was not injured, according to police.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences… for this most unfortunate situation,” sergeant Desiree Ferguson said.

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— Royal Bahamas Police Force (@RBPFPolice) December 6, 2023

Police said a lifeguard rescued the couple with a boat upon seeing what was happening, but Ms Van Wart suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body and was declared dead at the scene despite CPR efforts.

It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked her.

The CEO of Ms Van Wart’s employer, Curriculum Associates, released a statement, NBC reported.

Rob Waldron said colleagues were “heartbroken” by the death.

“Lauren was a beloved member of our math editorial team, and she infused her deep dedication to students and educators into every material she touched,” he said.

“Her commitment to excellence and outstanding work was driven by a higher purpose, focused on improving learning outcomes for all.”

Police said investigations were ongoing.

Gavin Naylor, programme director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, said in an interview that there have been a couple of shark-related fatalities reported in the Bahamas in the past five years.

He noted that the Bahamas has a “huge” tourist population, adding that there are a lot of people in the water and a lot of visitors who want to view sharks from a fishing boat or dive with them.

“So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,” he said.

Between 30 to 40 shark species live around the Bahamas, although the Caribbean reef shark, the bull shark, the tiger shark and the black tip shark have the highest bite frequency, Mr Naylor said.

“Usually, it’s an accidental bite. They think it’s something else,” he said.

“Once in a while, they’ll actually single out people, and it’s very intentional.”

Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Mr Naylor said.

Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the US, according to the International Shark Attack File.

At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file.

The Nassau Guardian newspaper reported that authorities in the Bahamas are still searching for a German woman who went missing late last month after she was apparently attacked while diving.

Last year, a shark killed a US cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkelling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay.

Most shark attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas, although a rare shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St Martin three years ago.