Two Americans were injured in a shark attack while vacationing on an island off the coast of Miami, Florida.
Tourists Summer Layman, 24, and Rileigh Decker, 20, had just arrived in Bimini, the westernmost island of The Bahamas, about 50 miles from Miami, on Friday, February 7, when the terrifying incident occurred.
After arriving on the island, the pair joined a friend on a yacht, and just minutes after entering the ocean, their nightmare unfolded.
Recalling the harrowing event, Decker told TODAY, “I felt something nudge my leg, and I asked, ‘Summer, what was that?’ She responded, ‘Don’t scare me like that.’”
“About two minutes later, we were near the ladder when I felt my leg get tugged down. I immediately knew I had been bitten by a shark.”
Decker added, “I just put my head in my hands and started praying that God wouldn’t take my life and that I would survive. It was very scary.”
Layman described her own injury, saying, “They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I didn’t realize it until I looked down.”
The shark involved is believed to have been a bull shark, a species that was also responsible for another attack on a tourist visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands on the same day (February 7).
However, unlike Layman and Decker, who are both expected to fully recover, the tourist in the Caribbean tragically lost both of her hands after they were bitten off by the predator.
After the attack, the Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a statement: “Police in Bimini are investigating an alleged shark attack involving two female tourists that occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2025.”
“Initial reports suggest that the victims, both U.S. residents, were injured while swimming in the waters at Bimini Bay. They received first aid at a local clinic before being airlifted to New Providence for more advanced medical care.
“One of the victims has sustained serious injuries. Investigations are ongoing.”
At the time of the attack, Decker and Layman were fortunate to have four friends on the boat who quickly assisted in pulling them back onboard.
“I won’t be going into the water for a long time,” Layman shared with the TV station.
Decker also said, “I won’t even dip my toes in the water again.”
