National

Bimini Shark Attack Places International Spotlight On The Bahamas

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Americans Rileigh Decker and Summer Layman were enjoying their Bimini getaway when their dream trip turned into a nightmare last Friday.

Published

1 month ago

February 12, 2025

Joshua Williams

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Americans Rileigh Decker and Summer Layman were enjoying their Bimini getaway when their dream trip turned into a nightmare last Friday.

Police say the pair was attacked by a shark while swimming in Bimini Bay.

20-year-old Rileigh Decker, who suffered severe injuries and remains in serious condition, spoke to Good Morning America from her hospital bed in Florida on Tuesday, saying she felt a tug on her leg and realized she had been bitten.

Her friend, 24-year-old Summer Layman, had also been bitten, but her injuries were not as severe.

Rileigh’s dad making this post on social media, saying the family was thankful and insisting the situation could’ve been so much worse. He said that Rileigh was just an inch from possibly losing her life.

Tourism Minister Chester Cooper says local officials have been in contact with the women and their families.

Shark attacks remain rare, but they do happen.

Back in 2023, a 44-year-old American woman on her honeymoon was killed in waters of western New Providence near The Sandals Royal Bahamian.

In December 2023, a German tourist went missing after a shark attacked her in waters near West End, Grand Bahama.

Three months before that, in August, Police found the body of a man floating at Saunders Beach with injuries they said were consistent with a shark attack.

That same summer, an American woman was attacked by a shark in waters south of Taino Beach, Grand Bahama.

Experts also warn that warming ocean temperatures and the practice of dumping fish scraps near marinas are drawing sharks closer to shore.