Press Release: Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort
August 8, 2001
GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, Bahamas -- On Saturday, Aug. 4, Krishna Thompson, a 36-year-old Islip, Long Island (New York)
man, was bit in his left leg by a shark in about four feet of water while swimming on vacation off of Grand Bahama
Island. The solo swimmer was rescued, stabilized, taken to Rand Memorial Hospital and transported by medivac to
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Thompson is currently in trauma ICU in serious condition.
The morning of the event, Thompson was swimming off the beach when the shark attacked and pulled him underwater.
The resort beach lifeguards initially took notice of the situation when Thompson's head surfaced to the top of
the water. The fin of a shark was seen, so the two lifeguards immediately entered the water. As the lifeguards
approached Thompson, the blood in the water became the clear indication that an attack had occurred and a rescue
was necessary.
Thompson was approximately 15-18 feet off shore, so the two lifeguards utilized a human lifeline technique -- a
hand-to-hand rescue used in rough, deeper water -- to expedite bringing him to the beach. Near the edge of the
shore, one of the lifeguards applied a chest lock putting his arms around the man's chest from behind and pulling
him to safety.
One of the trained lifeguards quickly applied towels to Thompson's leg to slow the bleeding, then pulled a belt
from the pants of another staff member to create a tourniquet on the left leg. Simultaneously, Rand Memorial was
alerted to the situation by the resort's risk management staff and an ambulance was dispatched.
As trained, one of the lifeguards found additional medical assistance from a doctor jogging by on the beach. The
doctor checked Thompson's pulse and placed a ventilator on Mr. Thompson from the resort medical aid kit. The doctor
is a surgeon at Rand Memorial -- Dr. Rolando Corral.
``The lifeguards at the resort saved the guest's life,'' said Dr. Corral this afternoon when asked to clarify
his role in the incident. ``The lifeguards worked in unison as a great team; I was quite impressed by their speed
and actions.''
The resort risk management/security staff then phoned Thompson's room requesting Ms. Thompson come to the beach.
Red flags were staked across the beach span by other lifeguards to prevent guests from entering the water. The
beach remained closed for the remainder of the day.
Resort executives and guest managers accompanied Thompson and his wife to the hospital on Grand Bahama Island and
continued with Ms. Thompson to Miami at her request.
The resort lifeguards are employed by an independent contractor, Ocean Motion, that has provided lifeguard management
for 18 years. The resort lifeguard training includes:
According to resort management, the guests on the beach who witnessed the rescue are praising the lifeguards
and staff of the hotel for its quick response and professionalism during the incident.
According to the International Shark Attack File there have been a total of 39 shark attacks over the past 105
years in the entire 700 Islands of the Bahamas. Only two of those attacks have been fatal.
SOURCE: Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort