Who was Caroline DiPlacido? Pennsylvania woman fatally attacked by bull shark in Bahamas identified
NASSAU, BAHAMAS: A 58-year-old woman, who died after being attacked by a bull shark while snorkeling with her family on September 6, has been identified as Caroline DiPlacido, a project coordinator at Gannon University.
According to Erie Times-News, Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, released a statement on Wednesday, September 7, regarding the death of DiPlacido, who got attacked and killed by a shark while she was snorkeling with a group of five to seven relatives at Green Cay. The statement about DiPlacido, who was the project coordinator for the Office of Community and Government Relations at their Erie Campus, read, "Along with her efforts to further the mission of Erie-GAINS and Our West Bayfront, Caroline was a powerful presence of kindness and friendship to colleagues, students, and the wider community and cherished many family ties to Gannon. The news is devastating, and she will be missed," and added, "We pray for Caroline as she crosses over to eternity. We pray for her husband, David, her children, David, Robert, and Allison; her mother, Olivia; and her wider family. Let us remember Caroline with affection and hope."
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DiPlacido lived in Millcreek Township of Pennsylvania and was a long-time employee at Gannon University, as per Erie Times-News. She, in fact, graduated from Gannon in 1986 and was hired at the university in July 2009 as a secretary in marketing and communications.
Details of the attack
As previously reported, DiPlacido arrived in the Bahamas on a cruise ship on Tuesday morning, September 6. A private tour boat took her group snorkeling off Rose Island where family members witnessed the attack. According to the police statement, the family members unsuccessfully tried to rescue the woman, who suffered "serious injuries to the left side of her body." The statement further said, "EMS personnel visited the Fort Montagu Ramp where the victim was transported and confirmed no vital signs of life."
As per NBC, the last recorded shark attack in the Bahamas was in 2018. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, "the United States recorded the most unprovoked shark bites in 2021, with 47 confirmed cases. This is 42 percent higher than the 33 incidents that occurred in the US in 2020."