A 56-year-old woman from Minnesota died after an apparent shark attack in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday, officials said, marking the second fatal shark attack in less than a month.
Emergency services received multiple calls around 4:28 p.m. reporting a woman was suspected of being bitten by a shark while swimming at Dorsch Beach in St. Croix, Virgin Islands police said in a statement.
Fire and emergency medical personnel arrived at the beach and confirmed that the woman lost an arm during the attack.
It was initially believed that there was a possible second victim; however, St. Croix Rescue searched the beach and did not find anyone else injured.
Police said the woman, identified as Arlene Lillis of Minnesota, died from her injuries.
“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the victim, and with everyone who witnessed this tragedy,” Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. said in a statement. “We have been briefed on the information known at this time, and we are grateful to the bystanders who acted immediately to render aid and to the first responders who worked urgently and bravely in an effort to save her life.”
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It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked Lillis. According to USVI Shark Diving, the sharks that roam the waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands include Caribbean reef sharks, hammerheads, lemon sharks, blacktip sharks, nurse sharks and tiger sharks.
The attack is under investigation, police said.
This is the second confirmed fatal shark attack in less than a month. Authorities in California confirmed last week that 55-year-old Erica Fox died from a shark attack. She went missing in Monterey Bay last month. The coroner determined Fox died from “sharp and blunt force injuries and submersion in water due to a shark attack.”
Last August, a 63-year-old American tourist was seriously injured after he was attacked by a shark while spearfishing in the Bahamas.