Woman killed in bone-chilling shark attack at popular US Virgin Islands tourist destination

ST. CROIX, U.S.V.I. – A woman vacationing at a popular tourist destination in the U.S. Virgin Islands lost her life after she was attacked by a shark while swimming.

Just off the coast of Dorsch Beach in St. Croix on Jan. 8 around 4:30 p.m., witnesses heard shrieking coming from the water, the St. Thomas Source reported.

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After hearing the scream, a Good Samaritan in the area dashed to the water to help 56-year-old Arlene Lillis, who had just been attacked by a shark. 

The victim was about 10 yards off the beach and surrounded by a pool of blood, and witnesses said her arm had been bitten off below the elbow.

In an instant, several bystanders assisted Lillis out of the water and urged fellow beachgoers to alert emergency services. 

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She was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital, where island officials said she later died from the suspected shark attack.

A search and rescue operation was conducted after there were reports of a second victim, though the Virgin Islands Police Department was unable to confirm the reports of another missing swimmer. 

Shark encounters in the U.S. Virgin Islands are very common, though attacks are extremely rare. 

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According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been four confirmed shark attacks in the U.S. Virgin Islands since 1749.

Witnesses did not see the shark that attacked Lillis, though the warm waters off of Dorsch Beach are home to several different shark species. 

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"Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the victim, and with everyone who witnessed this tragedy," Minnesota Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. wrote in a statement. "We have been briefed on the information known at this time, and we are grateful to the bystanders who acted immediately to render aid and to the first responders who worked urgently and bravely in an effort to save her life."