German woman loses leg and dies in shark attack while sailing south of the Canary Islands

A tragic shark attack off the coast of the Canary Islands has claimed the life of a German woman, who was reportedly sailing when the incident occurred.

According to authorities, the woman, aged 30, was part of a catamaran crew sailing south of the Canary Islands, not far from Morocco, when the unthinkable happened. A shark attacked the catamaran, and in the chaos, she was pulled into the water, suffering catastrophic injuries, including the loss of a leg.

Despite swift emergency response efforts, the woman sadly passed away on a rescue helicopter before she could be brought to shore for further medical treatment.

Shark attacks in Spain and Europe

Shark attacks in this region are rare, with this being the first fatal incident reported in the past several years. However, there has been an increase of shark sightings in Spain. Last year, a bather was bitten by a shark in Spain, but he luckily survived the ordeal.

Though encounters between sharks and humans do occur, particularly in warm, tropical waters, fatal shark attacks in Europe are uncommon. Nevertheless, experts have warned that changes in sea temperatures, driven by global warming, could be altering marine life behaviour, potentially increasing the likelihood of such attacks.