Woman Swimming Alongside Catamaran Attacked by Shark

A German tourist who was sailing in a British catamaran off Spain's Canary Islands is dead following a shark attack while she was swimming. CBS News reports the 30-year-old had been in the water next to the catamaran when the shark bit off one of her legs on Monday. An emergency alert was issued at 12:55 GMT requesting for a medical evacuation; a military plane and helicopter were sent to the site in the Atlantic, some 278 nautical miles southwest of the island of Gran Canaria and about 110 miles west of the city of Dakhla, Western Sahara. The woman died of a heart attack while aboard the Spanish rescue helicopter.

CNN reports shark attacks near the Canary Islands, which are located off the northwest coast of Africa, are rare. The Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File had recorded just six confirmed attacks there. In 2023, there were 69 confirmed shark attacks worldwide, and 14 deaths. (More shark attack stories.)