A shark attack that killed a German woman did not take place in Canarian waters, as has been reported widely in the press.
The attack took place in open seas more than 500 kilometres south of the islands, near the disputed territory of Western Sahara in Africa, and reportedly involved a 30-year-old woman who was sailing on a British-owned catamaran losing a leg.
Moroccan emergency services requested the assistance of Spanish search and rescue services, who picked up the victim in a helicopter. Sadly, she died while being transported to hospital.
Since records began, there have been only seven recorded instances of shark attacks on humans in the Canary Islands, and none of them have been fatal. However, the opportunity to sensationalise shark attacks by falsely linking them with a popular holiday destination appears too tempting for many journalists to ignore.
