A vacation swim turned into a nightmare in the U.S. Virgin Islands after a Minnesota woman was fatally mauled by a shark — and the former lifeguard who rushed in to help has now revealed her chilling last words.
Arlene Lillis, 56, was swimming off Dorsch Beach on the island of St. Croix around 4:30 p.m. Thursday when beachgoers suddenly heard what one witness described as “ungodly screaming” coming from the water, according to the St. Thomas Source.
Among those who heard the cries was Christopher Carroll, a Utah nurse and former lifeguard staying nearby. Carroll said he sprinted down from his second-floor hotel room, dove into the ocean, and swam toward the sound — where he found Lillis floating roughly 10 yards offshore, surrounded by blood.
When Carroll reached her, he realized the severity of the attack. Lillis’ left arm had been bitten off below the elbow, leaving bone visibly exposed. Despite her catastrophic injuries, she was still conscious.
“She was talking,” Carroll told the outlet. “I just kept trying to reassure her.”
At one point, he said, she looked at him and calmly stated, “I’m going to die.”
Carroll was soon joined by Ryan Connot, a vacationer from Nebraska who is trained in CPR. The two men worked together to keep Lillis afloat and began struggling back toward shore, yelling for people on the beach to call 911.
“She told us her name was Arlene,” Connot recalled. “That was about halfway back. I think that was the last thing she said.”
Neither rescuer saw the shark during the ordeal.
By the time they reached land, Lillis had lost a massive amount of blood. She was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital but later died from her injuries, island officials confirmed.
Rescue crews from St. Croix initially searched the surrounding waters after reports of a possible second victim, but after nearly an hour, authorities were unable to confirm another attack, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the victim, and with everyone who witnessed this tragedy,” said Bryan in a statement. “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.”
Officials have not yet identified the type of shark involved. The waters around the U.S. Virgin Islands are home to several dangerous species, including tiger sharks and Caribbean reef sharks.
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Extremely rare occurence…
Doesn’t matter if it’s rare or not someone lost a family member. But I guess someone thinks it being rare makes a difference.