The family of a 21-year-old woman who was killed by sharks while snorkelling in the Bahamas has spoken out about the tragic death.
Jordan Lindsey, from California, was on a family holiday when she took part in a day-trip to Rose Island to snorkel on 26 June. She was attacked and killed by a group of sharks.
Speaking to Good Morning America, her heart-broken dad Michael said Jordan and her mum Kami had headed off to snorkel, while he and the others stayed behind to see some pigs.
It was while he was petting the pigs that he overheard someone say a 'teenager' had been attacked by sharks and panic set in.
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Michael says he raced towards the water and once he got there he saw Jordan 'surrounded by sharks'.
He told the news outlet: "Kami said she heard Jordan yell, 'mom', and then Kami looked back and her first thing was she thought dolphins were around Jordan."
However, she then realised her daughter was screaming and swam over to her and started shouting to Jordan to swim towards her.
"She's yelling, 'Jordan, come to swim to me', and then Jordan isn't swimming so good and Kami realised the first shark took most of her right arm off," Michael told Good Morning America.
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He went on to say the pair were a fair distance from the other snorkelers and there were no guides or staff members from the tour company nearby.
As they finally made it to each other, a second shark swam in and attacked. Brave Kami tried to fight off the animal and hit it on the nose, but it didn't deter the shark.
Describing the horrific situation, the dad added: "They're swimming slowly and Jordan said, 'mom, there's another shark coming,' and then it just hit. The second shark hit again, like on her lower leg, and it just took a giant chunk out of her and that's the last thing Jordan saw."
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Despite the brutal attack, Kami managed to pull her daughter from the water and onto some rocks where they stayed and waited for a boat to come and rescue them.
The family said the boat that collected them didn't have any medical supplies.
As the boat came onto the shore, Jordan was still alive and was placed into a waiting ambulance which rushed her to hospital. But by the time Michael arrived at the hospital he was given the tragic news that Jordan had died.
Opening up about the impact Jordan's death has had on the family, he added: "Kami doesn't like the nights because once she closes her eyes, she's back in that water again." He also said he has 'cried every night' since.
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In a statement, the family said changes need to be made to 'ensure a tragedy like this does not happen again'. They want tour operators to ensure there is a designated member of staff who can watch out for snorkelers in distress and look out for potential predators.
They would like companies to have clear structures in place in case of emergency and for all tour boats to be equipped with medical supplies and first aid courses for the team.
The tour operators for the Lindseys' holiday, Sandy Toes, told ABC in a statement: "All reasonable steps were taken to prevent this very unfortunate incident and staff responded swiftly and in line with our emergency protocols and procedures."
Featured Image Credit: Go Fund Me/Lindsey familyTopics: US News
