Two American tourists

Despite the attack, research suggests that global shark bites are actually becoming less common. 

In 2024, there were 47 reported cases of unprovoked bites worldwide, a slight decrease from the five-year average of 64 incidents, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File.

A view of the beach in Bimini, Bahamas, May 1, 2024.  (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

At least two additional Americans have been bitten by sharks while in the Bahamas, with one fatality in a little over a year. 

A Massachusetts newlywed was killed off the coast of New Providence Island in December 2023. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding less than a mile from land when she was attacked and killed.

One month later, in January 2024, a 10-year-old boy vacationing from Maryland was bitten by a shark while “participating in a shark tank” at a Paradise Island resort, according to police. 

The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further information.   

Fox News Digital’s Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.