Tourist loses both hands in shark attack after she tried to take photo of animal

The local government said the tourist had been 'trying to engage' with the shark

The woman, believed to be a Canadian national, had been on holiday in the Turks and Caicos islands when the attack happened last Friday.

She was just a few yards from the shore when the predator struck, according to local media.

The 55-year-old, who has not been named, had been in the shallows and “attempted to engage” with the animal as she tried to take a picture of it, according to local authorities.

Witnesses said her husband bravely tried to stop the shark from biting her again, with her family apparently nearby.

Pictures from the incident show a crowd gathered around the injured woman after she made it back to the beach. Cloths were held onto her arms in an attempt to stem the bleeding, the MailOnline reports. 

The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) said they were called to the scene and saw the woman’s family huddled around her and trying to stem the blood flow from her catastrophic injuries.

The shark was estimated to be around 1.8m in length, the local government said, however the species has not yet been confirmed.

They added: "The DECR would like to urge the public to always be aware of your surroundings, follow local advisories, and respect marine life. Swim in designated areas, avoid murky waters, never swim alone, and do not attempt to feed marine wildlife under any circumstances."

Royal TCI Police said in a statement: “At 10:33am today (07th February), the Police Control Room of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force received a report that a female visitor had been injured while swimming.

“Medical personnel and the police were dispatched to the given location in Blue Hills, Providenciales.

“The 55-year-old victim was brought ashore and rushed to the Cheshire Hall Medical Center for treatment.”

She is expected to survive the attack.