Bahamas shark attack victim identified as Massachusetts teacher
The woman who was killed in a shark attack in the Bahamas on Monday has been identified as Lauren Erickson Van Wart.
Van Wart was a beloved math teacher from Boston, Massachusetts.
The 44-year-old was on the first day of her honeymoon when she was attacked and mauled to death.
Reports said Van Wart and her husband were paddle boarding in waters off the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort around 11:30 am when the incident occurred.
Sergeant Desiree Ferguson of the Royal Bahamian Police told reporters: “According to our initial reports, the female along, with a male relative, was paddle boarding just at the rear of a resort in Western New Providence, some 3/4 miles out from the shoreline when the shark bit her.
“A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative and brought them to safety. CPR was administered to the victim. However, she suffered severe injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb.
“Emergency Medical Services responded to this scene; they thoroughly assessed the victim, and they declared that she showed no vital signs of life.”
It’s unclear which one of the 40 species of shark that inhabit Bahamian waters attacked Van Wart.
Although rare, this is the second fatal shark attack to take place in Bahamian waters within the last few weeks.
A shark attacked a 47-year-old German woman while she was diving near West End, Grand Bahama, in late November.
Her body is yet to be recovered.
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