Gran killed in bloodbath shark attack as ‘ungodly screams’ heard from beach

Arlene Lillis, 56, was swimming in the sea near to the coast in the US Virgin Islands, when beachgoers heard an ‘ungodly scream’ and saw blood pouring from her arm during a horror shark attack

A grandmother tragically lost her life in a brutal shark attack while on holiday, after she was discovered in a pool of blood with her arm severed.

Arlene Lillis, 56, was enjoying a swim near the coast in the US Virgin Islands when beachgoers were startled by an “ungodly scream”. Initially, bystanders thought she was having difficulty swimming until they noticed blood gushing from her arm.

The grandmother’s arm was missing from the elbow and she was barely able to speak after being rescued. Two brave swimmers managed to drag her to shore before shouting at the gathering crowd to summon an ambulance. They then fashioned a tourniquet to stem the bleeding from her arm. Former lifeguard Christopher Carroll – one of the men who saved Arlene – said: “She was talking. I just kept trying to reassure her.”

The other rescuer, Ryan Connot, revealed Arlene managed to tell them her name, before stating she was “going to die”. After losing a significant amount of blood, she tragically passed away, reports the Mirror. Andrew Gamble, a neighbour of Arlene’s, described her as a “proud mother”. Originally hailing from Minnesota, US. She had previously taken in and cared for an injured stray dog, a testament to her commendable character.

Speaking to ABC News, he said: “Arlene was active and fun-loving, and above all she was genuinely kind. She loved hiking, the water, and snorkelling, and she had a deep love for animals.”

Authorities revealed the attack happened near the shoreline on western St Croix on Thursday afternoon. Police and emergency services rushed to the beach, where teams worked “swiftly and professionally under very extreme and difficult circumstances” to treat Lillis, according to Daryl Jaschen, director of the Virgin Islands’ emergency management agency.

Lillis, who regularly visited the US territory, was rushed to a local hospital for additional treatment but succumbed to her injuries, Lt Gov Tregenza Roach confirmed. Police reported they were initially informed there might have been a second victim, but a thorough search of the area by authorities found no other casualties.

Officials revealed they have yet to identify what species of shark was responsible for the attack. They noted while shark sightings are commonplace, attacks in the US Virgin Islands are rare. “Encounters that result in a bite are very rare,” Nicole Angeli of the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources stated at Friday’s press conference.

She explained Thursday’s attack was only the second such incident in a decade, and there are proposals to install additional warning signs and distribute more information at hotels and beaches regarding wildlife safety. Jaschen, from the emergency management agency, confirmed the investigation into the attack continues, and that he couldn’t immediately explain what might have drawn the shark so close to the shore.

In total, a minimum of 79 unprovoked shark attacks have been documented in the Caribbean since 1749, with four incidents occurring in the US Virgin Islands, as per the records of the Florida-based International Shark Attack File.