American tourists felt 'nudge' before shark attack at popular Bahamas resort

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Two American tourists are speaking out after they were attacked by a shark just hours into their getaway at a popular beach resort in the Bahamas last weekend. 

The attack occurred while the women, ages 24 and 20, were swimming in the waters of Bimini Bay at about 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. 

"I just put my head in my hands and started praying that God wouldn't take my life and that I would live," one of the women told NBC's "Today." 

The two friends were enjoying a dream vacation when they jumped from a boat into the beautiful waters of the Bahamas. 

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"I felt something nudge my leg," the 20-year-old woman told "Today." "About two minutes later, we were right by the ladder, and I felt my leg get tugged down. I immediately knew I was bitten by a shark."

The tourists were attacked by what appeared to be a bull shark, leaving one woman with serious injuries. 

Family and friends quickly pulled the pair to safety, wrapping a tourniquet around one woman's legs and racing to find help. 

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"They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I just hadn't realized until I looked down," the 24-year-old said in the interview. 

First responders transported the pair to a clinic for treatment before they were airlifted to a hospital on the island of New Providence, about 185 miles off the coast of Miami. 

The women told the outlet that once their injuries were stable, they were transported to an Orlando, Florida, hospital, where the 20-year-old victim will undergo a third surgery.  

The incident remains under investigation, and both women are expected to make a full recovery. 

"I will never put my toes in [the water] ever again," one of the women told "Today."

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Despite the attack, research suggests that global shark bites are actually becoming less common. 

In 2024, there were 47 reported cases of unprovoked bites worldwide, a slight decrease from the five-year average of 64 incidents, according to data from the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File.

At least two additional Americans have been bitten by sharks while in the Bahamas, with one fatality in a little over a year. 

A Massachusetts newlywed was killed off the coast of New Providence Island in December 2023. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding less than a mile from land when she was attacked and killed.

One month later, in January 2024, a 10-year-old boy vacationing from Maryland was bitten by a shark while "participating in a shark tank" at a Paradise Island resort, according to police. 

The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for further information.   

Fox News Digital's Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.