German Woman Killed By Shark Attacked In Grand Canaria Spain

UNSPLASH/Rusty Watson

JAKARTA - A German woman died after being attacked by a shark while swimming in the high seas between the Spanish Canal Islands and West Africa.

The 30-year-old woman was traveling by ship sailing south from Gran Canaria island on September 14. She was attacked by a shark who bit one of her legs.

Reported by Reuters on Wednesday, September 18, the coast guard flew from Gran Canaria to the area, 514 kilometers (320 miles) south of the island, and evacuated her, but she died from a helicopter wound.

Although some shark species are large and aggressive enough to hunt human-sized animals, shark attacks and deaths are rare around the world. The International Shark Attack File (ISAF) of Florida's Natural History Museum identified 14 shark-related deaths worldwide by 2023.

The ISAF recorded six confirmed shark-related incidents in Spanish history.