Woman killed in shark attack while snorkeling in Bahamas, cruise officials confirm

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• Melissa McCarthy defends ‘wonderful’ pal Meghan Markle: She’s ‘incredibly threatening to some people’
• Cruise ship passenger killed by shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas
• How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people
• New Biden administration Title IX rule protects transgender students’ bathroom & pronoun use at school
• More from CBS News

A search party was was initially launched but on May 27, the United States Coast Guard, who had been assisting the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the search, confirmed that the search had been concluded. Scientists disagree on how big the shark really was, judging its size from fossil records. Some say it reached about 60 feet in length, while other scientists contend it exceeded 80 feet, the encyclopedia says. “Our team is heartbroken and grieving the loss of a dear and trusted colleague and friend. 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,” CEO Rob Waldron said in a statement Tuesday. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry.

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Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749 and 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File. 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. While the cruise ship was docked in Nassau, the family booked an excursion with a local tour company that took them to a popular snorkeling area, she said. During a press conference on Sept. 6, Royal Bahamas Police Force Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said that sometime around 2 p.m., DiPlacido's family witnessed her being attacked by a bull shark. They were unable to fend off the shark before it inflicted "serious injuries to the left side of her body."

Cruise ship passenger killed by shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas

Van Wart, of Lowell, had been paddleboarding with her spouse less than a mile off the shore of the five-star resort on New Providence island when the predator dragged her beneath the surface. The Oasis-class vessel departed Port Canaveral on Sunday, September 4, and visited the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on Monday before visiting Nassau on Tuesday. There have been no delays reported to Harmony of the Seas‘ schedule, and the ship has continued on its 7-night Western Caribbean sailing. The attack happened near Green Cay, approximately 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) east-northeast of Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas.

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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. Witnesses on the scene told local media that the woman had gotten married Sunday, and she was with family when the attack happened. On Sunday, Sept. 4, DiPlacido and her family took sail on a seven-night cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. They sailed as guests with Harmony of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean. In the video, other guests upon the cruise ship can be heard swearing and eventually panicking as the footage allegedly shows Robbins getting pulled underneath the water. Albrecht had a high perch to film the shark, which made onlookers on the deck scream.

Robbins disappeared three days after his graduation from University Laboratory School. According to witnesses, the teen — who was apparently acting on a dare — took a plunge off a party cruise into the ocean near Athol Island at night. Cameron Robbins, 18, graduated from University Laboratory School in Baton Rouge in May and was on a trip to the Bahamas with students from several local high schools.

Passenger from Royal Caribbean Ship Dies After Shark Attack

Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. Cruise Hive’s deepest condolences are with the victim’s family members and loved ones at this difficult time. Tour employees and family members rescued the woman and quickly returned to New Providence Island for emergency medical care, but the woman was pronounced dead.

The odds of getting fatally attacked by the creature remain less than 1 in 4 million, according to the International Shark Attack File. In another recent incident, an eight-year-old British boy was injured after being attacked by three sharks in another part of the Bahamas. Her cruise ship, the Harmony of the Seas, was docked in Nassau at the time of the attack. It had just begun its seven day cruise of the western Caribbean from Port Canaveral in Florida on 4 September. They are an endangered species, protected under the UK’s Wildlife and Countryside Act, according to The Sun. Musician Alex Albrecht caught a rare sight on TikTok as a gigantic shark swam passed a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Family members and tour company staff saw her being attacked and managed to pull her from the water. A local news outlet, Eyewitness News, quoted Ms Skippings as saying that the victim suffered wounds to her "upper extremities". Bahamian police spokeswoman Chrislyn Skippings told reporters that the woman was on an excursion with a local tour company, which took her to the popular snorkelling area. While not confirmed by the United States Coast Guard press release, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King spoke to the media during the days of the search about the possibility of a shark attack.

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The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is found worldwide, most often in shallow, warm, coastal waters. Measuring an average of up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) long and weighing as much as 290 pounds (131 kilograms), the shark is known for its aggressive nature. They are a highly territorial species with little tolerance for being disturbed.

Skippings added that they are investigating DiPlacido's death and that the particular beach where she was attacked had been closed off to any type of snorkeling activities. Skippings said that emergency responders had come to the scene but “confirmed no vital signs of life” at the time. At one point, the person in the water appears to turn and swim in the opposite direction of the lifesaver ring that was thrown overboard.

The majority of shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas, with two reported in 2019, one of them fatal. That incident involved a Southern California woman who was on vacation and was attacked by three sharks near Rose Island, located just a half mile from where Tuesday's attacked occurred. In December 2020, a fatal shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin, the first such incident in that region. Overall, at least 32 shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1749, a number followed by 13 attacks in Cuba during that time period, including one in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File. He said the Bahamas has a variety of shark species, the majority of which do not pay attention to people, except for bull sharks and tiger sharks. "They get to very large sizes, and they eat big prey," Heithaus said, adding that sharks have incredible sensory systems and can be attracted to food, sounds and smells in the water.

The Sun reported the giant shark was likely a basking shark, a harmless but massive creature which can reach 12 meters (or almost 40 feet) in length and weigh six tons. Basking sharks feed on zooplankton, which they eat swimming with their mouth open. Basking sharks can be seen from May to September off the southwest coast of England, Wales, Isle of Man and Scotland’s west coast, The Sun reported. Last year, a shark killed a 58-year-old US cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay.

The newlywed who was killed by a shark while paddleboarding in the Bahamas was identified Tuesday as a beloved math specialist from Massachusetts. Bull sharks are also tolerant of fresh water and are frequently sighted in larger freshwater rivers, but interactions with humans are rare in freshwater areas. When snorkeling, it is best to not overestimate one’s swimming abilities, and to always remain with a group and close to the boat if possible, in case of any emergency situation. Other comments reinforced viewers’ intention to not swim in the ocean and stick strictly to man-made pools to avoid encountering sharks. Gavin Naylor, program 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. There has been much speculation about what happened to the Louisiana teenager since his disappearance, which took place after he dived into the water - allegedly as a dare - during a sunset pirate-themed cruise aboard the ship.

That was when out of nowhere, sharks came into view of the GoPro camera and one quickly darted into the camera night light, before swimming off quickly. Robbins was in the Bahamas with his friends for a holiday after graduation when he disappeared, and McMurray has analysed the footage of his last moments, believing that there might have been a shark in the water. A shark expert has given his thoughts on what might have happened during the last moments of Cameron Robbins, who was last seen jumping off a boat in the Bahamas, before disappearing beneath the dark water. The beach where the attack happened has been closed, authorities said, and the incident is under investigation. Soon after the attack, DiPlacido's family and an operator of the excursion company pulled her aboard and took her to the closest docking facility. "Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon," the university said.