Two American tourists injured in apparent shark attack in the Bahamas

Rileigh Decker being loaded into an ambulance after the attack. (Courtesy Summer Layman & Rileigh Decker via CNN Newsource)

Two American women were injured in an “alleged shark attack” while swimming in the Bahamas, authorities said.

The reported attack, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, occurred on Friday around 6:30 p.m. in the waters of Bimini Bay, a popular tourist destination in the western Bahamas renowned for its pristine beaches and fishing. Authorities in Bimini are investigating the reported attack, police said in a statement.

The women were injured while swimming and were initially treated at a local clinic before being airlifted to a hospital in New Providence for further care, the police said.

One of the women sustained injuries described as “serious,” according to the police.

CNN has reached out to the Royal Bahamas Police Force for comment.

Unprovoked shark attacks are rare in the Bahamas, with just 34 recorded since 1580, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File. This ranks the Caribbean country ninth among all tracked countries, with the US leading at 1,640 cases, followed by Australia with 706 and South Africa with 262, the data shows.

However, last week’s incident is the at least third reported shark attack involving American tourists in the Bahamas since 2023.

In January 2024, a 10-year-old boy from Maryland was bitten while participating in a shark tank expedition at a resort on Paradise Island, the police said. In December 2023, a 44-year-old woman from Boston was fatally attacked by a shark while paddleboarding near a beach resort.