sharkattack

The year 2023 was marked by unpredictable events with many people being exposed to uncertainty and violence, some incidents causing fear and shock.

Here are the top five news stories that left us disturbed:

1. Kenise Darville’s death at PMH prompted accusations of neglect (January)

Mother of three, Kenise Darville died days after alleging negligence at the country’s primary healthcare institution, Princess Margaret Hospital. Her viral post detailed her unpleasant experience at PMH as she pleaded for blood after the doctor’s prolonged attempt to order platelets for her condition.

Her death sparked public outrage, renewed calls for health reform, and prompted an investigation.

2. Brothers were killed in Solomon’s Yard Together (April)

Two brothers Shakuar Oliver, 22, and Tyrone Jr, 28 were discovered shot to death in their vehicle parked in the vicinity of Solomon’s Super Center. Shakur, a boxer who represented the Bahamas internationally, and Tyrone Jr who planned to marry in the coming months, were murdered days after their father Tyrone Oliver, 60 warned the youngest son about accompanying his older brother, whose lifestyle grew contrary to how he was raised.

Father Oliver said that the Holy Spirit pressed him to warn his youngest son of the impending doom.

3. Family mourned a mother and daughter found murdered in an apartment (April)

A mother, Allison Thompson, and her 14-year-old daughter were discovered partially decomposed in an apartment on Ross Corner on Allison’s 38th birthday. The discovery was made after neighbors smelled a foul odor emanating from the building.

A 23-year-old man, believed to be a boyfriend, was arrested in connection with their murder.

The incident renewed calls for greater protection of women and girls from violence.

4. American teen goes missing after jumping overboard (May)

Louisiana teenager Cameron Robbins, 18, went missing after going overboard a cruise boat in the Bahamas, while on a post-graduation trip. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force and US Coast Guard suspended search efforts after days of trying to find the missing teen. A video emerged of Robbins in the water, without a life jacket on and dressed only in swim trunks, in a reported dare attempt, as many of his classmates yelled in panic.

He remains missing.

5. American guest killed by shark while paddle boarding near Sandals Beach Resort, Bahamas (December)

American tourist Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, visiting the Bahamas from Boston, Massachusetts, was killed by a shark while paddle boarding off the coast of a Sandals Beach Resort. A lifeguard rescued her and her husband who was uninjured during the ordeal.

She died a short time after she was brought ashore.

The rare incident made international headlines with many experts speculating on the shark’s behaviour.

Friends and family of 44-year-old Lauren Erickson Van Wart who was killed in the Bahamas in a shark attack on Monday, are in utter shock after learning of her death.

“She always seemed very nice, always waved to us, said ‘hello.’ [She was] very neighborly,” Beth Stack Emerson said of her neighbor.

Van Wart lived in the Lowell neighborhood for a decade and Stack Emerson would often see Van Wart walking the dog and waving as she passed by.

Last week was the last time Stack Emerson saw her in their Boston neighborhood.

“[It was a] trip of a lifetime. It’s heartbreaking, it really is.

“Shocking. These poor people, they probably looked forward to this vacation for months.” Stack Emerson lamented to CBS News.

Van Wart was a newlywed, having just married on Sunday. She was reportedly with her husband when the shocking incident occurred, while paddle boarding three-quarters of a mile off the shore of the Sandals resort beach, where she was a guest at Sandals Royal Bahamian.

Rescued by a lifeguard, Van Wart was severely bitten by a shark and sustained serious injuries to her thigh region and arm, dying shortly afterward.

Her new husband was not injured during the ordeal.

Van Wart worked as a math editor at Curriculum Associates for nine years. CEO of the institution, Rob Waldron said he and his staff are inconsolable.

“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. Her commitment to excellence and outstanding work was driven by a higher purpose, focused on improving learning outcomes for all. Our Curriculum Associates community is mourning this tragedy and extends our deepest love and support to Lauren’s wonderful husband and all of her family.” 

The type of shark in the attack has not yet been identified.

Though shark attacks are rare, the Bahamas has the highest number of attacks in the Caribbean region.

Following the shocking death of an American tourist in a fatal shark attack The Bahamas on Monday, experts contends that incidents like this are rare. However, the country has the highest number of shark attacks in the Caribbean region.

In the Bahamas, there have only been 33 confirmed unprovoked attacks since 1580, according to Gavin Naylor, the program director of the International Shark Attack File, a database which tracks such incidents.

The fatal death of newlywed American tourist Lauren Erickson Van Wart on Monday shined a spotlight on attacks in the Bahamas. The 44-year-old woman from Boston, Massachusettes was paddle boarding a mile off from the western end of New Providence when a shark attacked her, biting and seriously injuring her lower right hip and right arm.

She died in the water.

The type of shark in the attack has not yet been identified.

Van Warts’ death is particularly alarming since the country has seen a spate in shark attacks, in recent times. In September 2022, Caroline DiPlacido, 57, from Pennsylvania, was killed near Rose Island while snorkelling with her children on a week-long cruise.

In August 2022, eight-year-old Finley Downer of Great Britain was attacked by nurse sharks but lived to tell the tale. He was in a lagoon at Compass Cay when the shark bit his leg and underwent a three-hour operation.

And in June 2019, Jordan Lindsey 21, was killed by a group of sharks while on vacation in waters near Rose Island.

Why do sharks attack?

Following Van Wart’s death, shark experts have echoed that these incidents are rare, arguing that in most cases, it is a mistaken identity.

Nick Whitney, a senior scientist at the New Englan Aquarium said, “Humans just happen to be unfortunate enough to be swimming in the water in a place where the shark was feeding on something else and the shark accidentally bites the person or investigates the person and uses their teeth to do that investigation.”

Sharks are known by researchers to bite people when they are confused or curious, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For instance, if a shark sees someone splashing in the water, it may try to investigate, leading to an accidental attack.

“If people were targeted by sharks, we’d see 1,000 bites a day. We don’t,” Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida stated.

“In fact, humans and sharks do their best to avoid one another.”

Naylor said there is a strong correlation between shark attacks and the number of people and sharks in the water at the same time. He said that, while this may be an obvious point, it reiterates that sharks are not intentionally going after humans.

Why does it seem like there are so many shark attacks in the Bahamas?

Some experts say that because the Bahamas has a large tourist population, with lots of people in the water at a given time, and lots of visitors who view the sharks from fishing boats, or often dive with them, the sharks adjust and become less cautious with humans than they once were.

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, 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.”

During the incident involving Erickson Van Wart, it is not known how many people were in the water at that given time and whether or not the shark mistook the paddle board for something else.

How often do sharks attack?

Only 5 to 6 incidents are reported each year with most attacks happening in Australia. In 2022, fifty-seven (57) cases were reported, with the majority in the USA.

The Bahamas ranks 9th worldwide, in shark attacks, marking the highest rate in the Caribbean.

Featured Photo credit: Reuters/Dante Carrer

Seventy-three-year-old Heidi Ernst, an American scuba diver whose leg was amputated when she was bitten by a shark in Grand Bahama last week, is defending the Grand Bahama Scuba Dive Center after it was hit with hate mails and negative reviews.

“They are not only the best dive shop but also saved my life,” she retorted.

Ernest said of the criticisms levelled against the scuba dive company since the attack, “They do not deserve this and it really pisses me off…It is uncalled for and so hurtful to people, my friends to be under attack.”

Ernst was climbing a ladder after finishing her dive when a shark grabbed her by the leg.

“I didn’t even see him approach me. He came from below, and it was just like a truck hit me. It was just like a scene out of a horror movie,” she told ABC7NY.

Ernst, an experienced scuba diver, then struck the shark to get it to open its jaw and praised her friend for his quick thinking in saving her life.

She was stabilized at the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport and then taken by air ambulance to Jackson Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, FL. The extent of the wound and the infection required Ernest’s left leg amputation.

“She [the doctor] reconnected the nerves to muscles which promotes a good outcome with less pain and things like neuromas. And then she closed it up. Post-surgery is very painful and they had difficulty controlling my pain for almost two days,” she said.

Friends are seeking to raise $30,000 to assist with her medical expenses not covered by insurance, travel expenses to get her back home, travel expenses to get her to and from therapy appointments when she has returned home and other modifications needed in her home for physical assistance.

Ernst’s horror details circulated the international media and may have spurred criticisms at the dive company. “It was harmless consent on my part and now friends are being attacked. Please if you hear anyone badmouthing them, stop it in its tracks.”

Ernst said she will continue diving and has been looking for fins suited for amputees.

The tour company that took Caroline DePlacido on an independent excursion when she was killed by a shark, has been identified as Seas the Day Bahamas Tours.

In a post on social media, the boating tour company expressed shock at her unfortunate death.

“All of us at Seas the Day are deeply saddened and shocked by the shark attack at Green Cay…” the company said.

DePlacido, a faculty member at Gannon University in Pennysylvania, booked the company on Tuesday afternoon after she and her family disembarked from the Royal Caribbean Cruise Harmony of the Seas for a snorkeling excursion.

Seas the Day Bahamas Tours then took the family of 5 to 7 members to Green Cay which is half a mile off the popular tourist site, Rose Island. During the course of snorkeling, a bull shark attacked the 58-year-old mother as her children looked on.

She was eventually rescued by her family and the tour operators, who took her to Montague Ramp. All attempts to resuscitate her were futile and she died.

Seas the Day Bahamas describes itself as a boat tour agency that operates excursions “from Nassau to Exuma, Eleuthera, Rose Island and the Underwater Statues of Nassau.”

Reviews on its social media page were favorable. Cindy Krapcho did an excursion on Rose Island, and said her last trip with Captain Welly and Maddy was “fabulous.” She described the crew as “super friendly, knowledgeable and professional.”

Holly Elrod also recommended the tour agency as she reminisced on her last stop on Rose Island which was “the most beautiful beach we’ve ever seen.”

“The turquoise waters were just unbelievable to see,” she said.”

Seas the Day Bahamas has since requested prayers for the family of DiPlacido.

Police confirmed that she suffered an injury to her upper body.

After the incident, her visibly distraught children were seen being comforted as they come to grips with the unimaginable death.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force visited the site of the attack on Wednesday and have since closed off the area.

The Pennsylvania woman killed in the Bahamas by a bull shark is Caroline DiPlacido, a faculty member of Gannon University, a private Catholic university in Erie.

DiPlacido, 58, was a project coordinator in government relations at the university where she was described as “a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community.”

She graduated from Gannon in 1986 and was hired in 2009 as a secretary in marketing and communication, and was responsible for enhancing the university’s relationship with the community.

DiPlacido was vacationing with her family in the Bahamas onboard the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas Cruise when they booked an independent excursion off Rose Island, a popular snorkeling site for tourists.

While snorkeling, a bull shark attacked and she was bitten in the upper extremities of the body. She was rushed ashore by her family and the tour operator, but later died of her injuries.

Campus Chaplain Rev Michael Kesicki said, “The news is devastating and she will be missed.

“Let us remember Caroline with affection and love. We pray for Caroline as she crosses over to eternity.”

She is survived by her husband David, children–Robert and Allison, and her mother Olivia.

The Erie campus held a prayer vigil on Wednesday afternoon in her honor.

An American woman was killed on Tuesday afternoon in a shark attack on Green Cay, off Montague Beach.

The authorities have not identified the woman believed to be in her 50s, but they confirmed that she was attacked as her children looked on.

The Pennsylvania woman arrived in the Bahamas onboard Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas cruise and took a day tour with a local tour company that dropped the family of 5 to 7 individuals on Green Cay, half a mile off Rose Island. While snorkeling, the woman was attacked by a bull shark.

Her children and the tour operator rushed to her aid, bringing her onboard the boat and onto a ramp on the mainland. The woman showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead on the scene.

She is reported to have been bitten on her upper body.

When reporters arrived, her adult children were still on the scene as her body was transported to the morgue.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Royal Caribbean said the woman was a guest on a seven-night cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida on Sunday and the group of individuals took part in an “independent shore excursion” in the capital.

“Royal Caribbean is providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time,” the statement said.

An eight-year-old British boy was reportedly bitten by sharks while on vacation in the Bahamas, last week.

According to British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, the boy Finley Downer was attacked by three nurse sharks at Compass Cay, Exuma when his sister pulled him to safety.

His father, Michael Downer said, “My son could have been killed. It was like a scene out of Jaws.”

During the tour, Finley and his other children, wandered near a lagoon, when he heard screams, “There was so much blood. Bits of his leg were hanging off,” Michael said.

The child was reportedly taken to a nearby clinic on a golf cart and later transported to Nassau for a three-hour operation on his legs.

Michael says he is angry that they were never warned that the sharks were dangerous. However, tour operator Exuma Escapes said the family wandered over to a lagoon not used on its tour.

Photo credit: The Sun