A shark attack along a beach in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, has claimed the life of an American woman, officials confirmed on Friday.
Police identified the victim as 56-year-old Arlene Lillis of Minnesota. Her hometown was not immediately available.
Authorities said the attack occurred close to shore on the western side of St. Croix on Thursday afternoon. Police and emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, where responders worked “swiftly and professionally under very extreme and difficult circumstances” to treat the victim, according to Daryl Jaschen, director of the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency.
Lillis, described by officials as a frequent visitor to the U.S. territory, was transported to a local hospital for further treatment but later died from her injuries, Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach said.
Police initially received reports suggesting there may have been a second victim, but a perimeter search conducted by authorities did not locate anyone else.
Officials said the species of shark involved has not yet been confirmed. While shark sightings are relatively common in the waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands, attacks are considered unusual.
“Encounters that result in a bite are very rare,” said Nicole Angeli of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources during a news conference on Friday.
Angeli noted that Thursday’s incident was the second shark attack reported in the territory in the past decade. She said plans are underway to install additional signage and provide more safety information at hotels and beaches to educate the public on how to reduce risks around marine wildlife.
Jaschen said the investigation into the incident is ongoing and that it is too early to determine what may have caused the shark to come so close to shore.
According to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File, at least 79 unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Caribbean since 1749, including four in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
