Lauren Erickson Van Wart ID'd as Boston newlywed killed by shark in Bahamas

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• Taylor Swift shares inspiration behind ‘TTPD’ songs — including 2 ‘tragic’ tracks about ‘broken’ relationships
• Heartbreaking video shows cruise ship passenger swimming, fishing with friends week before fatal jump
• Today's Top StoriesSee More Travel News
• Sault YMCA supporters gathering steam
• Byron’s colony of rare bank swallows facing new threat
• Cruise Passenger Attacked, Killed By Shark While Snorkeling In the Bahamas

According to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, the last recorded shark attack in the Bahamas was in 2018. It says bull sharks are among the most common when it comes to unprovoked attacks on humans. (THECOUNT) — A female cruise ship passenger has died after she was bitten by a bull shark while snorkeling in the Bahamas Tuesday. She was on an "independent shore excursion" in Nassau when attacked by a shark and succumbed to her injuries at a local hospital, according to the Miami-based cruise line.

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A woman sailing aboard Harmony of the Seas has died after a shark attack in The Bahamas on Tuesday, September 6. Royal Caribbean confirmed in a statement that the woman was a guest on the seven-night cruise, which sailed from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday. The victim and her family had arrived in the Bahamas on Tuesday morning via Royal Caribbean's cruise ship Harmony of the Seas, police said.

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Harmony of the Seas can host as many as 5,479 guests at double occupancy, and up to 6,687 passengers when fully booked. The Oasis-class vessel departed Port Canaveral on Sunday, September 4, and visited the cruise line’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, on Monday before visiting Nassau on Tuesday. When snorkeling, it is best to not overestimate one’s swimming abilities, and to always remain with a group and close to the boat if possible, in case of any emergency situation. Tour employees and family members rescued the woman and quickly returned to New Providence Island for emergency medical care, but the woman was pronounced dead.

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"After arriving at a local hospital for treatment, the guest passed away from their injuries. Royal Caribbean is providing support and assistance to the guest’s loved ones during this difficult time." It was not clear what type of shark attacked Van Wart, though up to 40 different species call the Bahamas home — including bull sharks, tiger sharks and black tip sharks, which are all known to be aggressive. One family’s vacation was marred by tragedy when a 58-year-old woman was attacked by a bull shark while on a snorkeling excursion. The incident occurred at a popular destination known as Green Cay, just off the shore of Rose Island, at approximately 2 p.m.

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Witnesses on the scene told local media that the woman had gotten married Sunday, and she was with family when the attack happened. "Sadly, the guest passed away after arriving at a local hospital for treatment. Royal Caribbean International is providing support and assistance to the guest's loved ones at this time," Royal Caribbean said. The victim, who was not identified, was attacked less than a mile off the western end of New Providence island, where the capital, Nassau, is located. She was paddleboarding with a man who was not injured, according to Police Sgt. Desiree Ferguson. While not confirmed by the United States Coast Guard press release, Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King spoke to the media during the days of the search about the possibility of a shark attack.

The attack occurred Tuesday while on an "independent shore excursion" in Nassau, according to Royal Caribbean International. A woman on a cruise ship that departed from Port Canaveral Sunday was killed by a shark in the Bahamas Tuesday, according to law enforcement authorities. Police say, five to seven people departed a cruise ship and were snorkeling when the attack happened. The unidentified 58-year-old woman died after she was attacked by the shark while snorkeling with her family offshore near Montague Beach.

About Bull Sharks

During a press conference on Sept. 6, Royal Bahamas Police Force Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said that sometime around 2 p.m., DiPlacido's family witnessed her being attacked by a bull shark. They were unable to fend off the shark before it inflicted "serious injuries to the left side of her body." Kevin McMurray runs a website called trackingsharks.com, and dedicates himself to collecting stories and information about shark attacks around the globe. The Louisiana high school graduate who disappeared after leaping off a cruise ship into dark waters off the Bahamas last week may have met a grisly fate in the “shark-infested” area, a local official said.

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The cruise line indicated that the woman was on an independent shore excursion, meaning one that was not sold through or sanctioned by the line itself. This is, of course, not at all uncommon, as many cruise guests — no matter the destination — often make plans with independent contractors. At least 33 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Bahamas since 1580, with the island ranking ninth worldwide, according to the file. Fatal shark attacks are rare, with only an average of five to six reported worldwide a year, most of them occurring in Australia, Naylor said. Last year, there were a total of 57 unprovoked bites around the globe, the majority of them in the U.S., according to the International Shark Attack File.

Cruise Passenger Attacked, Killed By Shark While Snorkeling In the Bahamas

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We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. There have been no delays reported to Harmony of the Seas‘ schedule, and the ship has continued on its 7-night Western Caribbean sailing. There has been much speculation about what happened to the Louisiana teenager since his disappearance, which took place after he dived into the water - allegedly as a dare - during a sunset pirate-themed cruise aboard the ship.

It must be noted that any wildlife interactions can be unpredictable, and such an incident could occur whether on an independent tour or when booked through the cruise line. Shark attacks, however, are exceedingly rare considering the popularity of snorkeling excursions and other watersports. Last year, a shark killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay. A police superintendent did not immediately respond to a message requesting comment. Police said the victim and her family had arrived in the Bahamas the morning of Sept. 6.

The majority of shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas, with two reported in 2019, one of them fatal. That incident involved a Southern California woman who was on vacation and was attacked by three sharks near Rose Island, located just a half mile from where Tuesday's attacked occurred. In December 2020, a fatal shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin, the first such incident in that region.

Then, he disappeared beneath the surface and hasn’t been seen again, leading some to believe that he might have been attacked by a shark. A shark expert has given his thoughts on what might have happened during the last moments of Cameron Robbins, who was last seen jumping off a boat in the Bahamas, before disappearing beneath the dark water. The Coast Guard called off its own search two days later, after reportedly scouring over 325 square miles.

Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that. The Harmony of the Seas is currently on a seven-night cruise that departed Florida's Port Canaveral on Sunday, Sept. 4. The woman was a guest on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of Seas, which called in Nassau on Sept. 6. “So the sharks get acclimated, and the animals are a little bit less cautious than they otherwise might be,” he said. They are large, capable of inflicting serious injuries, commonly found in areas where humans enter the water, and have teeth designed to shear rather than hold, the museum says in a primer on species.

They set out on a tour with a local snorkel excursion company that afternoon. The attack occurred while the group was snorkeling near Green Cay, in the waters northwest of Rose Island in the Bahamas. Last year, a shark killed a 58-year-old US cruise ship passenger from Pennsylvania who was snorkeling in the northern Bahamas near Green Cay. In June 2019, an American tourist snorkeling off Rose Island was killed in a shark attack.

A lifeguard who witnessed the horrifying attack rescued the pair in a boat and brought them back to shore, where CPR was administered to the woman. "Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon," the university said. Cruise Hive was established back in 2008 and among the earliest blogs in the industry. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines.

Michael Heithaus, a marine biologist at Florida International University in Miami, said in a phone interview that the high number of attacks in the Bahamas is probably the result of a lot of people in the water in that area and a robust marine ecosystem. According to National Geographic, bull sharks are typically known for living in high-population areas. They're able to live in both saltwater and freshwater, which enables them to migrate into river systems and estuaries. On Sunday, Sept. 4, DiPlacido and her family took sail on a seven-night cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. They sailed as guests with Harmony of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean.