The family of a tourist who was seriously injured when she was bitten while trying to “engage” with a shark in Turks and Caicos is now speaking out about the horrifying moment that “completely altered” the Canadian woman’s life.
The 55-year-old Canadian tourist, who remains unnamed, attempted to “engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs” on Friday, Feb. 7, according to a press release from the Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) last week.
The victim’s brother-in-law, Al Chevarie, has set up a GoFundMe page to financially help the woman and her husband, Ralph Chevarie, following the incident.
“While on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation, my sister-in-law and her husband, my brother, lived what can only be described as a nightmare,” Al began his post on the fundraising page.
He said his brother and sister-in-law were in “only hip deep clear water” when a “seven-foot bull shark came at my sister-in-law and bumped into her legs.”
“The shark then circled around and bit her thigh. Not satisfied, the shark came back again and when she put both hands in front of her to protect herself, the shark cut off both of her hands, one at mid forearm and the other at the wrist,” he wrote.
Photo from the GoFundMe for woman involved in shark encounter in Turks and Caicos.
Al Chevarie / GoFundMe
Chevarie said his brother rushed back to help her and “managed to wrestle away the shark and stayed between her and the shark until she walked out of the water and collapsed on the beach.”
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The Turks and Caicos Department of Environment and Coastal Resources originally shared that the incident took place in Blue Hills, Providenciales, on Friday, Feb. 7, and the victim was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where she was stabilized and transported off the island for further medical attention.
Chevarie said his sister-in-law was taken to a local hospital for initial treatment “but had to be flown back to Canada by air ambulance to undergo further surgery and recovery.”
“My brother served our country in the Canadian Armed forces for over 30 years with tours in Kuwait, twice in Afghanistan, Golan Heights, Haiti and Bosnia. He served our country with pride; it’s our turn to help them,” Chevarie wrote. “This is something that has completely altered their life in the blink of an eye. I ask, if you can, to please help them; they will need a lot of support to get through this. Any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated.”
The GoFundMe post has currently raised over $24,600 of its goal of $35,000 from 309 donations as of Tuesday morning.
The Turks and Caicos government had previously said that the shark was approximately six feet in length, and did not identify the specific species.
Government officials closed the beach following the incident and reopened it to the public Sunday, Feb. 9, “after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water.”
The government didn’t share further details of the tourist’s interaction with the shark but did issue a warning to others swimming in the area.
“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,” the post read.
Shark bites in the waters off the Turks and Caicos islands are rare, with only one unprovoked non-fatal attack reported last year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.
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