Horrific honeymoon death: Beast attacks in the Bahamas

A 44-year-old woman from Boston was attacked during an aquatic excursion at the picturesque Sandals Royal resort in the Bahamas. The beast targeted the flotation device, on which the woman and her husband were idly drifting. The pair were on their dream honeymoon.

The horrifying incident transpired in the waters of the western portion of the Bahamas. A shark, in a brazenly bold daylight attack, lunged in front of stunned beachgoers and lifeguards. The Massachusetts woman succumbed to her injuries. The 44-year-old had been enjoying her vacation at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort with her newly-wed husband.

As reported by the New York Post, citing information from the Royal Bahamas Police, the victim, identified as Laura Ericson Van Wart Lowell, was engaging in paddleboard activities with her husband. They were less than a mile off the shore of the luxurious five-star resort situated on New Providence Island when the marine predator dragged her under the water.

A lifeguard, having witnessed the ghastly attack, rushed to rescue the couple. They were pulled aboard a boat and rushed to shore. Despite receiving immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Van Wart Lowell succumbed to her injuries on the scene. It was reported that she suffered extensive damage to her right side, primarily her hip and upper limbs.

The tragic death of the shark attack victim has deeply affected her school community, as she was a valued math teacher. "The loss of such an esteemed and cherished teammate has left us heartbroken. Laura was a treasured member of our math department. Her commitment to her students and school was exemplary," shared Rob Waldron, the CEO of Curriculum Associates, Massachusetts, in a statement issued on Tuesday.

Reports from Reuters emphasize that fatal shark attacks are relatively infrequent in the Bahamas. However, a spate of such incidents has been recorded in recent years.

In June 2019, a 21-year-old American student was tragically killed in a similarly unprovoked attack by three sea predators. In August 2022, a British child, only 8 years old, faced a tragic death in the same region.

Online viewers were witness to the dramatic rescue footage from an incident in February 2022 when the crew from the Air Station Miami received an emergency call for help from the fishing boat Shear Water. Near Bimini, one of the islands in the Bahamas archipelago, located about 81 miles off the coast of Florida, a man aboard the boat had his arm savagely bitten by a shark. He was fortunate to receive medical attention in time and was saved at a Miami hospital.

In contrast, a 58-year-old American woman was not as fortunate. She lost her life in September 2022 in a similar underwater encounter while diving with her family in the waters of New Providence.

Likewise, in a heartbreaking underwater encounter just last month, a 47-year-old German woman too lost her life while diving off the coast of West End on Grand Bahama. A tiger shark dragged her under the water and, to date, only her diving equipment has been recovered.