A 44-year-old woman from Lowell, Massachusetts, was killed by a shark when she was paddle boarding with her husband in the Bahamas.
Lauren Erickson Van Wart was on a vacation with her husband, Ernest, at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort in western New Providence Island. They had been married for 13 years, and were looking forward to a dream vacation at the five-star, adults-only resort.
Just after 11 on Monday morning, they were about three-quarters of a mile off the beach when people heard screams. A shark had dragged her off the paddleboard. A lifeguard at the resort ran for a boat and raced to rescue them. He brought them back the beach and administered CPR, but it was too late.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force said, “The victim suffered significant trauma to the right side of her body. She was examined on scene by emergency medical technicians who concluded that she showed no vital signs of life.”
Sandals issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest” and said they were “providing all possible support” to her family.
Mrs. Van Wart was a math editor at Curriculum Associates, an educational curriculum development and assessment company. Rob Waldron, the CEO, said “Our team is heartbroken and grieving the loss of a dear and trusted colleague and friend.” He said that Mrs. Van Wart “infused her deep dedication to students and educators into every material she touched.”
The attack on Monday came just two weeks after a 47-year-old German woman went missing and was feared dead after she encountered a shark while she was diving off West End, Grand Bahama. In September, 2022, a 58-year-old Pennsylvania woman was killed by a shark while she was snorkeling with her family off New Providence.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67625387
