Death in the rescue helicopter German tourist dies after shark attack off Gran Canaria
Tragedy on vacation: A German tourist is attacked by a shark south of the Canary Islands. She dies on the way to hospital. Moroccan authorities are said to have refused to help her beforehand.
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- A German tourist has been attacked by a shark in the Atlantic.
- Although the woman was rescued alive, she died on the way to hospital.
- The woman was traveling south of the Canary Islands off the coast of Western Sahara.
- According to Spanish media, the Moroccan authorities refused to help.
- Shark attacks are actually considered extremely rare in the area where the attack occurred.
A German tourist has died after a shark attack off the west coast of Africa. The 30-year-old vacationer was rescued alive by a Spanish rescue helicopter, but died of a cardiac arrest while still in the air on her way to the Canary Islands, reported the digital newspaper "Atlántico Hoy" and other media on the Spanish islands, citing the country's sea rescue service.
According to the reports, the German woman was sailing in the Atlantic on Monday in a British catamaran when she jumped into the water a good 500 kilometers south of the Canary Islands off the coast of Western Sahara and was attacked by a shark. She lost a leg in the attack.
Shark attacks are actually rare
She was admitted to the Doctor Negrín University Hospital in Las Palmas on the Canary Island of Gran Canaria on Tuesday night. However, the doctors there were only able to determine her death.
Citing the Spanish maritime rescue service, "Atlántico Hoy" reported that the Spanish authorities had initially informed the relevant authorities in nearby Morocco. However, they had refused to send help. The Spanish air force was therefore called in, which immediately mobilized a rescue helicopter.
Attacks by sharks on humans are unusual in this area of the Atlantic Ocean south of the Canary Islands, wrote "Atlántico Hoy". Since records began in the 16th century, only seven have been counted, it said. It remained unclear which species of shark was responsible for the attack and where exactly the German came from.
dpa
