American tourists felt 'nudge' before shark attack at popular Bahamas resort
2025-02-16
Category: america

Two American tourists are speaking out after they were attacked by a shark just hours into their getaway at a popular beach resort in the Bahamas last weekend.&nbsp; The attack occurred while the women, ages 24 and 20, were swimming in the waters of Bimini Bay at about 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7,&nbsp;according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.&nbsp; "I just put my head in my hands and started praying that God wouldn’t take my life and that I would live," one of the women told NBC’s "Today."&nbsp; The two friends were enjoying a dream vacation when they jumped from a boat into the beautiful waters of the Bahamas.&nbsp; AMERICAN TOURISTS ATTACKED BY SHARK AT LUXE BAHAMAS RESORT AREA  "I felt something nudge my leg," the 20-year-old woman told "Today." "About two minutes later, we were right by the ladder, and I felt my leg get tugged down. I immediately knew I was bitten by a shark." The tourists were attacked by what appeared to be a bull shark, leaving one woman with serious injuries.&nbsp; Family and friends quickly pulled the pair to safety, wrapping a tourniquet around one woman's legs and racing to find help.&nbsp; AUSTRALIAN TEENAGER DIES IN DEVASTATING SHARK ATTACK, NEARLY 100 YARDS FROM POPULAR BEACH: REPORT "They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I just hadn’t realized until I looked down," the 24-year-old said in the interview.&nbsp; First responders transported the pair to a clinic for treatment before they were airlifted to a hospital on the island of New Providence, about 185 miles off the coast of Miami.&nbsp; The women told the outlet that once their injuries were stable, they were transported to an Orlando, Florida, hospital, where the 20-year-old victim will undergo a third surgery.&nbsp;&nbsp;  The incident remains under investigation, and both women are expected to make a full recovery.&nbsp; "I will never put my toes in [the water] ever again," one of the women told "Today." SWIMMING IN A SHARK'S HOME: TIPS FROM AN EXPERT FOR AVOIDING AND SURVIVING AN ATTACK Despite the attack, research suggests that global shark bites are actually becoming less common.&nbsp; In 2024, there were 47 reported cases of unprovoked bites worldwide, a slight decrease from the five-year average of 64 incidents,&nbsp;according to data from the&nbsp;Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.  At least two additional Americans have been bitten by sharks while in the Bahamas, with one fatality in a little over a year.&nbsp; A Massachusetts newlywed was killed off the coast of New Providence Island in December 2023. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding less than a mile from land when she was attacked and killed. One month later, in January 2024, a 10-year-old boy vacationing from Maryland was bitten by a shark while&nbsp;"participating in a shark tank" at a Paradise Island resort, according to police.&nbsp; CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further information.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fox News Digital's Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.&nbsp;