The victim of a recent incident in the Virgin Islands has been identified by police as 56-year-old Arlene Lillis from Minnesota. However, further details about her hometown have not been disclosed.
The tragic event unfolded near the shoreline on the western side of St. Croix on Thursday afternoon. Emergency responders, including police and rescue teams, arrived promptly at the scene. Daryl Jaschen, the director of the Virgin Islands’ emergency management agency, praised the crews for their “swift and professional” efforts under the challenging conditions they faced while attending to Lillis.
Despite the immediate medical attention she received on the beach, Lillis, a frequent visitor to the U.S. territory, was transported to a local hospital where she tragically succumbed to her injuries, as confirmed by Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach.
Initial reports suggested the possibility of a second victim. However, after conducting a thorough search of the area, authorities did not find any additional victims, thereby ruling out the earlier concern.
Lillis, who was a frequent visitor to the U S territory, was taken to a local hospital for further treatment but died from her injuries, according to Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach.
Police said they were initially told there may have been a second victim, but a perimeter search by authorities did not discover any other victims.
Officials said they have not yet confirmed what type of shark was involved in the attack. They said that while shark sightings are common, attacks in the US Virgin Islands are unusual.
“Encounters that result in a bite are very rare,” said Nicole Angeli of the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources at Friday’s news conference.
She said Thursday’s attack was the second such incident in a decade, and that there are plans to put up more signs and share more information at hotels and beaches on how to be safe around wildlife.
Jaschen, of the emergency management agency, said the investigation into the attack is ongoing, and that he could not immediately say what may have caused the shark to come so close to the shore.
Overall, at least 79 unprovoked shark attacks have been reported in the Caribbean since 1749, including four in the US Virgin Islands, according to the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.
