London - A "beautiful and gentle" student was savaged to death by three sharks while snorkelling in the Bahamas.
Jordan Lindsey, 21, had her right arm severed in the attack – thought to be the country’s first shark fatality in more than a decade.
The American was on a sight-seeing boat tour with her family to Rose Island, a popular destination with tourists who can swim with wild pigs off the shore.
Miss Lindsey’s parents watched in horror as the three sharks approached. They screamed to warn their daughter, but she did not hear in time to escape.
Miss Lindsey, from Torrance in California, was rushed to the shore and taken to Doctor’s Hospital in Nassau, where she was pronounced dead on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Investigators believe there were three sharks involved in the attack off the 11-mile stretch of beach.
It is thought Miss Lindsey was attacked by tiger sharks – the most deadly species after the great white.
Miss Lindsey’s father Michael said in a statement: "We already miss her so much. She was so caring.
"She loved all animals. It’s ironic she would die getting attacked by a shark."
Tributes were made to the "beloved daughter, sister, girlfriend and friend" on a GoFundMe page set up by sister Madison to help with funeral costs. "Jordan had the most beautiful, gentle soul and she will be missed deeply," it read.
Tourist Jace Holton, 32, a doctor from Texas, was on board the same sight-seeing boat as Miss Lindsey’s family. She said of the tour guides: 'I think they were all pretty stunned and shocked honestly. From what I understand it was pretty severe."
Several tour guides jumped into the water in a bid to save Miss Lindsey, Miss Holton said, adding: "I kind of wish I had been there in that exact moment. ‘Not that there’s more than you can do in that situation but you kind of wonder," she said.
Miss Lindsey studied at a private Jesuit college in Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, and was due to graduate in communications studies next year.