Colin Maximin
An American woman has died in a shark attack after her arm was bitten off while she was swimming in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Thursday, officials said.
Arlene Lillis,56, from Minnesota, was swimming off Drosch Beach around 4.30 p.m. when the fatal attack occurred Thursday.
Christopher Carroll, a nurse from Utah with lifeguard experience, was staying at a hotel overlooking the beach when he heard the distress calls. Without hesitation, he raced from his room on the second floor, plunged into the Caribbean sea, and swam urgently toward Lillis, who was drifting roughly 10 yards from shore amid crimson-stained water.
Upon reaching the injured woman, Carroll discovered the shark had torn away her left forearm below the elbow, leaving exposed bone. Remarkably, Lillis remained alert during the initial rescue.
“She was able to speak,” Carroll recounted to local news sources. “I did everything I could to keep her calm and give her hope.”
In those critical moments, Carroll remembered Lillis expressing her fear that she wouldn’t survive.
Another tourist, Ryan Connot from Nebraska, who possesses CPR certification, heard the emergency and joined the rescue effort. The two men worked together to bring Lillis back to shore while yelling for someone to contact emergency services.
“She managed to tell us her name during the swim back,” Connot shared with reporters. “Those were likely her final words.”
The shark itself was never spotted by either rescuer.
Medical responders arrived to find Lillis had experienced severe blood loss. She was immediately taken to a nearby medical facility, where physicians were unable to save her life.
Search and rescue teams also investigated reports of a possible second attack victim, conducting an extensive hour-long search of the surrounding waters, though no additional victims were found, police officials confirmed.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. released a statement expressing condolences: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family and all those who witnessed this horrific event. We commend the civilians who responded without regard for their own safety and the emergency personnel who fought valiantly to preserve her life.”
The specific shark species involved has not been determined. However, the territorial waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands host multiple shark varieties, including tiger sharks and Caribbean reef sharks.
A USVI police spokesman said: ” This was a very unfortunate incident where a US citizen lost her life. We don’t get many shack attacks in these islands – We send out our condolences to her family and will be in touch with them while we investigate this attack fully.”