A NEWLYWED who was mauled to death by a shark in front of her husband just hours after they tied the knot has been pictured.
Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding with her husband at the Sandals resort in western New Providence, Bahamas, on Monday when she was killed.
Witnesses described "screaming" just moments after seeing the couple "laughing and talking" side by side at the luxury resort.
Van Wart, who was visiting from Boston, Massachusetts, suffered "serious injuries" and despite the desperate attempts of a lifeguard, died at scene.
"Shortly after 11:15 am police were notified that a female visitor from Boston, Massachusetts, USA was attacked by a shark," Sgt Desiree Ferguson from the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.
"A lifeguard on duty who saw what was happening went out in a rescue boat, retrieved the victim, along with the male relative and brought them to safety CPR was administered to the victim.
"However she suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, including the right hip region and also her right upper limb."
Van Wart was pronounced dead after she showed "no vital signs of life," police confirmed.
The couple, who was said to be about three-quarters of a mile away from the shore at the time of the attack, had gotten married only a day before the tragic attack.
A jet ski operator at the beach at the time told The Nassau Guardian he saw a 14-foot-long shark that pulled the woman's paddleboard underwater.
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"When I saw it was only the guy standing on the board, I said (to myself), she must have fallen off. Then you could actually hear the faint shouts of him screaming for help" he told the outlet.
"It was crazy because I watched them push out from the beach. They [were] side by side and laughing and talking. They just got married yesterday."
In a statement, the Sandals resort said: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of a guest while on a paddleboarding activity nearly a mile from the shore."
It added that it is in "close contact" with Van Wart's family and is "providing all support possible during this difficult time."
Van Wart is understood to have worked as a math editor and has been hailed for her dedication to students.
The company she worked for is said to be "heartbroken" and "grieving the loss of a dear and trusted colleague and friend."
"Lauren was a beloved member of our math editorial team, and she infused her deep dedication to students and educators into every material she touched," Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates said.
"Her commitment to excellence and outstanding work was driven by a higher purpose, focused on improving learning outcomes for all."
Meanwhile, Gavin Naylor, program director of the International Shark Attack File in Florida, called Van Wart's death out of the ordinary, especially since she was paddleboarding at the time instead of surfing.
"It was a bit of a surprise that she was paddleboarding," he told local Fox affiliate WFXT.
"Surfers get bitten far more frequently than paddleboarders because they are lying down and they are splashing."
It's unknown at this time what kind of shark attacked Van Wart, however, tiger sharks and bull sharks frequent the coast of the Bahamas.
Despite this, Naylor said those species often avoid human contact.
The attack will be studied by research biologists to get a better understanding of what happened and how it can be prevented in the future.
Greg Skomal, a shark biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries said he hopes to get a sense of what happened.
"What we would try to get as much information as possible that would try to give us a sense of why this happened," he said.
This is the third fatal shark attack in the Bahamas since September 2022.
Just two weeks ago, a German woman went missing after encountering a shark while diving.
In September 2022, a 58-year-old American woman was killed by a shark while snorkeling with her family in New Providence.
"A couple of species have been implicated in attacks in the Bahamas the bull shark certainly the tiger," said Skomal.
He reminded swimmers to keep an eye out for potential prey when in potentially shark-infested waters.
"These are things to be taken seriously and people needed to be educated about them," he said.
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Naylor agreed: "I think people planning to go on vacation in the Caribbean should continue to do so. And should enjoy themselves, enjoy the water, but don’t be reckless."
He advised people not to go swimming alone and to avoid swimming at night, dawn, or dusk when sharks are feeding.
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