Minnesota woman dies after shark attack in US Virgin Islands

Arlene Lillis, 56, was escaping midwest winter in Caribbean before losing arm in attack and dying of her injuries

A shark recently killed a Minnesota woman by biting her arm off as she swam off the coast of the US Virgin Islands while on vacation recently, according to authorities and media reports.

Arlene Lillis, 56, was in waters off St Croix's Dorsch Beach when the rare deadly shark attack occurred at about 4.30pm on 8 January, the Virgin Islands police department said in a statement. Emergency crews who responded to multiple calls about Lillis's plight soon confirmed she had lost an arm", and she ultimately died from her injuries, the police statement added.