This could be filed under “your worst nightmare” category. A 58-year-old Pennsylvanian woman was in the middle of her seven-night cruise in the Bahamas when she was attacked and killed by a bull shark, according to island officials.
The NBC News affiliate for Erie, Pennsylvania, WCIU, ran this story about Caroline DiPlacido, the victim. She has an employee of Gannon University where she served as a project coordinator for Gannon’s Office of Community and Government Relations.
The Police from the scene said that the woman was with a group of five to seven cruise ship passengers. This group included her husband, daughter, and son. They were on a tour with a local snorkel excursion company.
The attack happened while the group was snorkeling in the water near Green Cay, an island in the Bahamas located close to Rose Island.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said in a press briefing that sometime around 2 p.m., DiPlacido’s family witnessed her being attacked by a bull shark.
After the attack, her family pulled and an operator for the excursion pulled her aboard the boat and took her to the closest docking facility.
They were met by emergency responders, but they could not find any sign of life.
Skippings added that they are investigating DiPlacido’s death and that the beach where she was attacked had been closed off to any type of snorkeling activities.
The DiPlacido family left on the cruise on Sunday, September 4th and they intended to sail for the seven-night cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida. They were on board a Harmony of the Seas cruise ship that is owned by Royal Caribbean.
Royal Caribbean confirmed the tourist’s death in a statement provided to NBC News.
People from around the nation have read this tragic story and prayers and well wishes have been sent to this grieving family.
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