58-Year-Old Pennsylvania Woman Killed by Bull Shark While Snorkeling in the Bahamas: 'She Will Be Missed'
Pennsylvania woman Caroline DiPlacido died after being attacked by a bull shark in the Bahamas.
The 58-year-old, who was in the country as part of a week-long cruise, was killed Tuesday while snorkeling with her family, Royal Bahamas Police Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said in a press conference Tuesday.
According to Skippings, the woman and her family (a group of 5-7 people) booked a tour with a "local company" and went snorkeling in the popular area of Green Cay, half a mile northwest of Rose Island, a private estate near the capital Nassau.
While snorkeling, she was attacked in her "upper extremities" by a bull shark, Skippings continued.
RELATED: Teen Who Lost Leg In Shark Attack Faces Her Fears to Be a Better Advocate for Sharks
After the attack, family and tour personnel managed to rescue the woman and carried her ashore. Medical assistance was then provided at Fort Montagu but she was later pronounced dead, ABC News reported.
According to KHOU the woman and her family were passengers on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas and were only visiting Nassau for a single day. The cruise began at Port Canaveral, Florida, on Sunday, CNN reported.
Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Bull shark
DiPlacido was remembered as a beloved member of the Gannon University community, according to a message from Gannon University Chaplain Fr. Michael Kesicki that was obtained by PEOPLE.
"Yesterday, we learned the sad news of the sudden passing of Caroline DiPlacido, '86, project coordinator for the Office of Community and Government Relations, Erie Campus. She was vacationing with her family in the Bahamas," read the message. "Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon. The news is devastating, and she will be missed."
"We pray for Caroline as she crosses over to eternity. We pray for her husband, her children, her mother and her wider family," Kesicki wrote. "Let us remember Caroline with affection and hope."
The Bahamas
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.
PEOPLE has reached out to Royal Caribbean, who confirmed the news in a statement obtained by NBC News and clarified the company was not involved in the incident. A beach near where the incident took place has also been closed indefinitely.
"While on an independent shore excursion in Nassau, a guest sailing in Harmony of the Seas experienced injuries from a shark," Royal Caribbean said, NBC News reported.
"Royal Caribbean is providing support and assistance to the guest's loved ones during this difficult time," the statement added.
RELATED: Sydney Shark Attack Victim Identified as 'Wonderful' Diving Instructor Who Was Engaged to Be Married
Getty Bull Shark
The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
According to the International Shark Attack File, a total of 137 shark-human interactions were 2021 recorded worldwide in 2021. ISAF also confirmed 73 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 39 provoked bites.
Among the 73, more than half (47) of them occurred in the United States, which has the most documented unprovoked bites in the world. In the Bahamas, 32 unprovoked have been recorded in the country since 1749.
