A woman from Germany was attacked by a shark while sailing. (Symbolic image)
© 123RF/ramoncarreteroA woman from Germany was attacked by a shark while sailing.
A 30-year-old German tourist died earlier this week following a fatal shark attack while swimming in the waters off Dakhla, Morocco.

The incident took place shortly after 4 p.m. on Monday, roughly 180 kilometers west of Dakhla in southern Morocco.

According to reports from German and Spanish media, the woman was on a British-flagged yacht when she jumped into the ocean and was bitten on the leg.

Reports also indicate that shark attacks are uncommon in the area where this tragedy occurred.

"For a German tourist, her vacation ends fatally. The 30-year-old was attacked by a shark. The animal bit off the German's leg," wrote the German newspaper Focus Online.

The yacht's crew quickly reached out to Spanish maritime rescue services, which collaborate internationally with the Moroccan navy.

In the wake of this tragedy, Spain notified a nearby vessel that offered first aid after Moroccan authorities stated they lacked immediate resources for urgent assistance in the area.

A helicopter from the Spanish Air Force's Search and Rescue unit in Gran Canaria was dispatched to rescue the woman who had already lost a leg due to an attack.

She was transported around 8 p.m. but was pronounced dead upon arrival at Negrรญn Hospital in Las Palmas.

In 2019, a large group of Atlantic jellyfish appeared near Moroccan beaches. These violet jellyfish, believed to have been carried into Moroccan waters by the wind, have been stinging beachgoers for several years.