A 56-year-old grandmother from Minnesota has been killed in a shark attack while swimming in the Caribbean.
A Fatal Swim in Crystal Clear Waters
Arlene Lillis was enjoying a swim in the clear waters of Dorsch Beach on the island of Saint Croix in the US Virgin Islands when the attack occurred. The incident happened at approximately 4.30pm on Thursday, January 10, 2026.
Other beachgoers heard what was described as 'ungodly screaming' coming from the water. Christopher Carroll, a former lifeguard from Utah, initially thought a swimmer was in distress. When he reached Arlene, he found her in a pool of blood with her arm missing below the elbow.
'She was talking. I just kept trying to reassure her,' Carroll told local outlet St Thomas Source.
Desperate Attempts to Save a Life
Another swimmer, Ryan Connot, who had been snorkelling nearby, also rushed to help. The two men began carrying Arlene towards the shore, shouting for someone to call emergency services and find something to use as a tourniquet to stem the severe bleeding.
Despite their frantic efforts, Arlene told the men her name and said she was 'going to die.' She tragically succumbed to her injuries after losing a catastrophic amount of blood.
Authorities later confirmed her death was the result of a shark bite, though the specific species involved could not be determined.
A Life of Adventure and Kindness Cut Short
Arlene Lillis was a new grandmother who had owned a home on St Croix for several years and had recently begun spending her winters there. Her neighbour, Andrew Gamble, paid tribute to her character.
He described Arlene as a 'proud mother,' an active and fun-loving person who was genuinely kind. She had a deep love for animals, having once fostered and nursed an injured stray dog back to health.
'She loved hiking, the water, and snorkelling,' Gamble told ABC News.
The waters around the US Virgin Islands are home to a rich variety of marine life, including six species of sharks such as tiger sharks and hammerheads. While such attacks are rare globally, tiger sharks are statistically linked to the second-highest number of fatal incidents involving humans, after great white sharks.
This tragic event follows another suspected fatal shark attack in the United States over the Christmas period, where 55-year-old Erica Fox went missing while swimming in Monterey Bay, California.
