Family of Canadian Woman Bitten By Shark in Turks and Caicos Island Calls Attack a ‘Nightmare’

A beach in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, on Sept. 25, 2016. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

A Canadian woman vacationing with her family in the Turks and Caicos Islands has lost both hands following a shark attack, according to her brother-in-law.

The incident happened on Feb. 7, the island government said in a social media post.

The woman, who has not been named, was in clear, hip-deep water when she was attacked, said Al Chevarie, her brother-in-law. He has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family while she is recovering.

Chevarie said a “seven foot bull shark” bumped his sister-in-law’s legs, then circled and bit her thigh, he said.

When she stretched out her hands to protect herself, the shark bit them off, one at mid-forearm and the other at the wrist, he wrote in a fundraising post.

Her husband rushed to help and wrestled the shark away, according to the post. He stood between her and the shark until she got back to the beach, where she collapsed and was given first aid.

She was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and stabilized, the government said.

The woman was then flown back to Canada for surgery and recovery, Chevarie said.

The beach was closed following the incident out of an “abundance of caution,” the government said. It was reopened on Feb. 9 after officials said the shark had moved to deeper waters.

The government estimated the shark to have been about six feet in length. Its species has not been confirmed.

Chevarie said his brother, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 30 years, now needs help after the family experienced “what can only be described as a nightmare.”

The incident “is something that has completely altered their life in the blink of an eye.”

The fundraiser had raised more than $30,000 as of Feb. 18.

PEI Man Recovers After Shark Bite

In May 2024, another Canadian was injured by a shark in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Lucas Arsenault was snorkelling while on a trip to the area with his family, according to another GoFundMe page.

”The unprovoked attack left him in the water with major damage to his right leg, and severe damage to his hand from fighting for his life,” Arsenault’s co-worker and friend David Hastilow wrote on the page.

He said Arsenault managed to swim away and family and friends got him on board a boat.

Arsenault was also treated at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre, where he received emergency surgery for his injuries. His right leg had to be amputated above the knee, according to the GoFundMe page.

Once stabilized, Arsenault was flown back to Canada for further treatment.

In an update last September, Arsenault said he was working to make life as normal as possible, but that “it’s been a major life change.”

“I’m relearning many things in life. It’s somehow become enjoyable to solve all the puzzles that come with the amputated life. At least I’m trying to find the silver lining and stay positive,” he said on the GoFundMe page.