In a tragic incident, a 30-year-old German tourist lost her life after being bitten by a shark while sailing near Spain's Canary Islands on Monday. The coastguard confirmed that the woman, who was sailing on a British catamaran, suffered a heart attack and lost a leg in the attack.

The shocking incident occurred in the Atlantic, approximately 278 nautical miles southwest of Gran Canaria. The victim was swimming beside the catamaran when the shark attacked, causing severe injuries. Emergency services were alerted at 1255 GMT, requesting immediate medical evacuation.

Following the distress call, both a military plane and helicopter were dispatched and the Moroccan coastguard was also notified. The woman was airlifted onto the helicopter around 1800 GMT to be transported to a hospital in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries during the journey.

Shark attacks are considered rare, with only 69 confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide last year, according to data from the International Shark Attack File. Out of these incidents, 14 resulted in fatalities. The report also highlighted an unusually high number of shark bite deaths in Australia in 2023, accounting for around 22% of the global unprovoked shark attacks.

Sadly, this recent incident follows a series of fatal shark attacks happening around the world. Just last month, a 16-year-old student lost their life in a shark attack in Jamaica. In July, a surfer in Australia suffered a leg amputation after an encounter with a great white shark, and in June, surfer Tamayo Perry passed away after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Hawaii. Additionally, earlier this year, a fisherman diving for scallops was killed by a shark off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of these encounters and highlights the need for continued efforts in understanding and conserving marine ecosystems. Authorities are working to gather more information about the incident and offer support to the victim's family during this difficult time.

As shark attacks remain uncommon, beachgoers and marine enthusiasts are encouraged to stay vigilant and adhere to safety guidelines to minimize the risk of such encounters.