German tourist killed in shark attack near Canary Islands

The woman swam near the Canary Islands. Credit: PA

A German woman has died after a shark attack in the Atlantic Ocean near the Canary Islands, a popular British holiday destination.

On Monday, the 31-year-old lost her leg in the attack, a spokesperson for Spain’s Guardia Civil told CNN.

She was transferred via air ambulance to a hospital on the island of Gran Canaria where she suffered a heart attack and died.

Spain's sea rescue agency, Sasemar, reported that the incident happened 514 kilometres (319 miles) south-southwest of Gran Canaria and 180 kilometres (112 miles) west of Dakhla, Western Sahara.

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According to reports, she was aboard a yacht that sailed from the city of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, on Saturday.

Shark attacks near the Canary Islands are rare, with only six confirmed cases on record, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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