Woman has both hands bitten off by shark during close up photography opportunity

Some people will do anything for the perfect shot, and a woman has reportedly lost both her hands while attempting to take close-up photographs of a shark.

A Canadian woman in her 50s was attempting to take photographs of the shark in the shallow waters off Blue Hills beach on Provinciales, the main island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, on Friday 07 February.

The woman allegedly tried to engage with the animal “in an attempt to take photographs,” the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) said in a statement. She was taken to a local medical center then airlifted off the island for further treatment.

The grizzly details claim that one of the woman’s hands was amputated at the wrist, while the other required amputation from the mid-section of her forearm, according to the National Post.

A number of beaches were closed, but reopened two days later “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water,” DECR said. The shark was estimated to be about 1.8 meters in length, but the species remains unknown.

The National Post also reported that “A man claiming to be the woman’s relative said she was able to walk back to shore after the attack. She was bitten in the thigh, he added, but did not lose her leg.” The woman’s husband allegedly also entered the water in an attempt to deter the shark.

The DECR warned tourists to be aware of their surroundings and “respect marine life”.

“Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances,” it said.

The Cayman Islands Department of Environment said in a statement in November that its researchers had recognized behaviors in sharks engaging with divers, that are consistent with the animals having been regularly fed by divers, despite that being an illegal act in Cayman waters.

This article by Leonie Helm was first published by Digital Camera World on 18 February 2025. Lead Image: (Image credit: Mile Ribeiro).

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