May 26 (UPI) -- A 22-year-old woman from Connecticut was hospitalized in serious condition after being attacked by a shark in Turks and Caicos, authorities said.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force said in a statement Thursday that the attack happened shortly after 3 p.m. a day prior as the woman was snorkeling with a friends in waters out front of a resort located near the Leeward Marina.
Police said it was a resort employee who noticed the attack and called authorities for assistance.
"The employee indicated that the female victim had her leg bitten off by a shark," the statement said.
The woman was transported to the Cheshire Hall Medical Center where she remains hospitalized, according to authorities.
Eco-adventures and water sports company Big Blue Collective told CNN in a statement that its employees responded to help the woman who was attacked.
"The calm, quick and measured response from one of our captains and office team meant that the victim was extracted from the ocean and dispatched in the ambulance in 15 minutes, saving them from a potentially life-threatening situation."
