German Woman Dies After Losing Leg in Shark Attack Near Canary Islands

A women in her 30s lost her leg while swimming near catamaran close to the Canary Islands

Greg Skomal via NOAA / USA TODAY NETWORK

A German tourist died after a severe injury occurred just outside Spain’s Canary Islands. A 30-year-old was swimming next to a British-flagged catamaran on Monday when a shark attacked her and took her leg. 

The tourist was transferred by helicopter medevac to a hospital on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria. According to reports from law enforcement, the helicopter traveled 320 miles south of the island to reach the injured woman but later succumbed to her injuries while in the air.

She was reportedly a crew member on board the British catamaran Dalliance Chichester, which left from the Spanish city of Las Palmas on Gran Canaria just two days before the incident on September 14th.

Shark attacks are one of the most feared natural dangers despite the low likelihood of an event occurring. According to the International Shark Attack File from the Florida Museum of Natural History, only six confirmed shark attacks have ever occurred in Spain’s history. There were no past attacks in the location where this incident occurred.  The Canary Islands have long been a popular vacation spot for tourists due to its year-round warm climate. 

Worldwide, in 2023, There were 14 confirmed shark-related fatalities. The ISAF documented 69 total unprovoked attacks in the year, with over 88% of the attacks happening either in the United States or Australia. Of the 69 attacks, 10 came from unprovoked encounters. 

The report did state that the Global total of unprovoked shark bites was “slightly higher than average.” Over the last few months, two surfers, one off the coast in Australia lost his leg, and one in Hawaii was killed after severe injuries after a shark attack. This attack also comes just a few weeks after a young 16 year old high school student was killed by a shark off the island of Jamaica.

After the incident occurred, the Salvamento Marítimo, Spain's rescue service, investigated the attack.

Shark spotting technology is improving to assist beach goers and others in the water to stay safe. According to a video on AccuWeather, recommendations to help avoid when swimming to prevent shark bites are swimming alone, splashing in the water, wearing shiny jewelry, or swimming where fishermen are actively fishing.