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American woman killed by sharks while snorkeling in Bahamas, police say

The woman was attacked near Rose Island Wednesday afternoon.

June 27, 2019, 3:02 AM

An American woman has died after she was attacked by sharks while snorkeling with her family in the Bahamas, authorities said.

Jordan Lindsey, 21, of Torrance, California, was swimming in waters near Rose Island when she was bitten by multiple sharks, local police said in a statement.

Investigators initially said they believed there were three sharks involved.

"Myself, my two boys, and Jordan's girlfriend, Gianna, were on another part of the island, just swimming on the beach side," Michael Lindsey, Jordan's father, recalled. "My wife, Kami, and Jordan went snorkeling on another part of island. My wife was near Jordan, a few feet away, when the shark attacked.

"She said it happened so fast, and no one yelled anything. My wife got to Jordan and pulled Jordan to shore by herself. The medical staff said they still had to do an autopsy. My wife said no one told her there were three sharks."

Jordan Lindsey, center, poses with her parents, two brothers, sister and girlfriend on their trip to the Bahamas. Lindsey, 21, was killed in a shark attack near Rose Island on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
Courtesy Lindsey family

"Jordan was 21 and such a great daughter and person. We already miss her terribly," Michael Lindsey, said in a statement to ABC News.

Her right arm was torn off and she suffered bites to her left arm, both legs and buttocks, police said. She was then taken to shore and transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Rose Island, Bahamas
STOCK PHOTO/Shutterstock

Lindsey was a student at Loyola Marymount University.

"I am saddened to share that Jordan Lindsey, a communication studies major, died on June 26, 2019. She was 21 years old," the university said in a letter to students. "Jordan was snorkeling with her family and friends in the Bahamas when she was attacked by sharks. Efforts were made to save her life, but she was pronounced dead at a hospital."

"A devoted animal lover and climate change advocate, Jordan transferred to LMU from Santa Monica College," the letter continued. "She participated in LMU's Entrepreneurship Society, the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, and worked as a communications assistant for the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. Jordan was also a student researcher with CUREs, LMU's Center for Urban Resilience."

The investigation is ongoing. Department of Fisheries is scheduled to assess the area to determine if the water is safe.

ABC News' Ben Gittleson, Alyssa Acquavella, Matt Stone, Darren Reynolds and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.

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