Photo: New Zealand Police
A 19-year-old woman visiting a popular beach in New Zealand has died in what localauthoritiesbelieve was a shark attack.
Kaelah Marlow from Hamilton — a city in the Waikato area of New Zealand’s North Island — was pronounced dead on Thursday a short time after she was injured in the water while visiting Waihī Beach, a statement from New Zealand Policesaid.
“We appreciate her death was extremely traumatic for those who were at Waihī Beach yesterday and we are offering Victim Support services to anyone who requires it,” New Zealand Police said in a statement.
The area where Marlow was attacked is now restricted to visitors for seven days.
Citing local news sources, theAssociated Presssaid Marlow was removed from the water with leg wounds following the attack. Attempts to resuscitate her at the scene failed.
George Novak/AP
“You hear about shark attacks, but never in a million years you think it’ll be someone you know,” Marlow’s aunt, Kylie French, toldTheWest Australiannewspaper, viaThe Guardian.
“She was obviously out with her friends having a great time,” French added. “She was a lovely girl, a fun girl, always bubbly, into anything.”
The incident — if confirmed — will reportedly be the first fatal shark attack in the country in eight years.
The last attack, in 2013, involved 46-year-old film director Adam Strange,USA Todayreported. Strange was swimming off the coast of New Zealand to train for a 2.8-mile endurance swim when he encountered a shark.
A police officer who responded to the scene had to fire 12 shots at the animal from an inflatable boat to recover Strange’s body.
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Strange — who won a Crystal Bear award at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival — was afather to a 2-year-oldgirl.
“He was a very robust, big, barrel-chested surfer,” his friend, Adam Stevens, toldCBS Newsafter the attack. “He was basically completely obsessed with the ocean, with paddleboards and body surfing, everything. His garage was like a museum of surf craft.”
source: people.com
