Yale graduate’s foot ripped off by shark as she celebrated off luxury Caribbean island
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A woman's foot was viscously ripped off by a shark while she was snorkelling off a luxury Caribbean island.
The Yale graduate - who was on a Turks and Caicos trip - was visiting the Caribbean archipelago with a friend when she was attacked on Wednesday.
As the two friends were swimming off Grace Bay Beach during a private boat tour, the 22-year-old was believed to have been bitten by a Caribbean reef shark.
Her foot had been ripped off.
One of the captains from the Big Blue Collective, who had organised the boat tour, dived into the water and rescued the woman.
He applied a tourniquet to her leg before she was rushed to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
Reports suggest that it was too late to reattach the woman's foot after a six-hour wait for an emergency aircraft to fly the woman to hospital.
"The extremely rare and unfortunate incident that happened yesterday outside the reef, involving a snorkeler and a shark, occurred during a private trip," a Big Blue Collective spokesperson said.
"Only two individuals were in the water, which was clear and calm, when a presumed Caribbean Reef Shark left one snorkeler with an injury due to what is known in diving circles as a case of mistaken identity.
"The calm, quick and measured response from one of our captains and office team meant that the victim was extracted from the ocean and dispatched in the ambulance in 15 minutes, saving them from a potentially life-threatening situation.
"We applaud all the efforts of our team, the paramedics, and the emergency first aid responders.
"Our thoughts are with the victim, their family and loved ones at this time."
A spokesman from the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources for Turks and Caicos added: "Yesterday, at the Bone Yard dive site in Princess Alexandra National Park, a 22-year-old female visitor from Connecticut was severely injured while snorkeling.
"Immediately after the incident, at approximately 3.07pm, a call was made to the Police Control Room.
"Responding swiftly, officers from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force ensured the injured visitor was quickly transported to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre to receive emergency care.
"The matter is still under investigation by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.
"Though incidents such as these are highly unusual in the Turks & Caicos Islands, swimmers, snorkelers and divers and boat operators are reminded to exercise caution on the water."
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