The port of Las Palmas. Image courtesy of Matti Mattila/Wikicommons.

A 30-year-old German woman has died after being attacked by a shark while cruising aboard a British-flagged catamaran, the Dalliance Chichester, off the coast of Western Sahara.

The fatal incident occurred in international waters, approximately 278 miles southwest of Gran Canaria and 110 miles west of Dakhla, in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which is claimed by Morocco.

The woman was a crew member on the Dalliance Chichester catamaran, as reported by the Atlantico Hoy newspaper. It is reported that the woman lost her leg in the shark attack, while taking a swim off the vessel. Despite a rapid response from the Spanish maritime rescue service, she went into cardiac arrest while being airlifted to the Doctor Negrín Hospital in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival late on Monday night (16 September 2024).

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon around 4 p.m., and a distress call was made to the Spanish coastguard at 3:55 p.m. The Spanish rescue authorities coordinated efforts with both Moroccan and UK coastguards and a Spanish Air Force helicopter was dispatched from Gran Canaria to provide emergency assistance.

Marine tracking data shows the boat had left Las Palmas on September 14, just two days before the attack, en route southward along the coast of West Africa.

The Spanish coastguard alerted nearby ships, and one vessel provided medical supplies to the catamaran. Despite these efforts, the woman could not be saved.

It has been reported in multiple news outlets, including LBC and Mail Online, that Moroccan authorities refused to transfer the injured woman to Rabat for emergency treatment, although the reasons for this remain unclear.

Shark attacks in the region are incredibly rare. According to the International Shark Attack File maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have been six previously recorded shark attacks in the Canary Islands, none of which were fatal. This attack marks the first recorded fatal shark incident in the area.

However, there have been shark sightings in the Canary Islands and the coasts of mainland Spain in recent years, with some beaches being temporarily closed as a precaution. In June, several beaches in Gran Canaria, including Melenara and Playa de San Agustín, were closed after hammerhead shark sightings.

Spanish officials have launched an investigation and are expected to interview the remaining crew members aboard the Dalliance Chichester.

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