Canadian woman maimed by shark while on vacation in Turks and Caicos

Nearly $30,000 has been raised for a Canadian woman who suffered life-altering injuries at the hands of a shark while vacationing in the Caribbean.

Al Chevarie says his brother and sister-in-law were on “what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation” in the Turks and Caicos earlier this month, but it quickly turned into “a nightmare.”

According to Chevarie, his sister-in-law was attacked by a seven-foot bull shark while in hip-deep clear water.

He said the shark chomped on her thigh before circling back and bit off both of the woman’s hands, one at the mid forearm and the other at the wrist, which she had put out to try and protect herself.

“Her husband, having rushed back to help, then 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,” Chevarie explained.

“Following first aid on the beach, she was transported to a local hospital for initial treatment but had to be flown back to Canada by air ambulance to undergo further surgery and recovery.”

The Turks and Caicos government confirmed the attack, saying it happened on Friday, Feb. 7, at a beach adjacent to Blue Hills, Providenciales.

The official release stated that the victim is 55 years old and said the shark was “approximately six feet in length, however the species is yet to be confirmed.”

It also claimed that the Canadian woman had “attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs.”

The beach was closed for two days before reopening on Sunday, Feb. 9, after it was determined the shark had moved to deeper water.

If you’d like to contribute to the GoFundMe for the victim, which has raised $28,758 as of 2 pm PT on Tuesday, click this link.