St. Martin reports fatal shark attack, 1st in recent history

A fatal shark attack was reported in the French Caribbean territory of St. Martin on Thursday, shocking many in the eastern Caribbean region where such attacks are rare. Government spokesman Alain Rioual confirmed the attack to The Associated Press but declined further comment ahead of a press conference. He said it's the first time in the territory's recent history that such an attack has occurred.

The attack occurred in Orient Bay, a popular beach located in the northeast part of the island that St. Martin shares with the Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten. No details on the person's identity or nationality were immediately released, although local media reported the victim was an unidentified woman in her 40s.

The majority of shark attacks in the Caribbean have occurred in the Bahamas, with two reported last year, one of them fatal. A shark attack also was reported in Cuba in 2019, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File. Program Director Gavin Naylor told the AP that he was surprised about the attack.“It's pretty unusual in that part of the world,” he said.

While no details have been released, Naylor said such attacks are usually tied to mitigating circumstances including spearfishing or chumming, adding that 95% of shark attacks are accidental. He said most attacks in the Caribbean occur in the Bahamas because of its massive tourism.“We see a very strong correlation between shark bites and the number of people in the water,” he said.The organization reported a total of 64 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks worldwide last year.

(Image Credit: AP)