Brave husband 'tried to fight off shark' which bit off both wife's hands as authorities issue warning

A man was quick to try to 'fight off' a shark that took both of his wife's hands in its bite when she tried to take a picture of it.

While on a beach on Providenciales, the main island in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, a 55-year-old woman was spotted in the shallows of Blue Hills Beach, in the Caribbean, when she suffered catastrophic injuries following a reported shark attack.

It is believed the tourist was attempting to take a snap of the animal, which is believed to be between a six and nine feet long shark, when it snapped back.

It's believed a bull shark could be the culprit (Getty Images)

The traveler suffered a bite to her thigh and lost both of her hands which had to be amputated after the attack which took place on Friday (February 7), with a medical center having to remove one hand at the wrist and another from mid-way down her forearm.

Witnesses who rushed to her aid in the attack have since spoken out about the harrowing ordeal, describing how the woman's husband had attempted to 'fight' the shark as it tried to continue it's attack.

One person told Magnetic Media (via The Sun): "That shark bite victim lost both her hands and some forearms. Her husband tried to fight it off."

Meanwhile, another described the woman's family, who was nearby when the attack occurred, were quick to stop the bleeding with cloths. The woman was reportedly so close to shore that she was also able to able to walk back after being bitten, witnesses said.

Speaking of the shark, someone else said: "I was there for 40 minutes, and it was still lingering."

While it's still not confirmed, the shark is believed to be either a bull or tiger shark.

The woman and her family were on the Blue Hills Beach in Turks and Caicos when the attack happened (Google Maps)

The Department of Environment & Coastal Resources Authorities issued the following statement on the incident: "On Friday 7th February a tourist was injured by a shark in the waters adjacent to Blue Hills, Providenciales.

"The individual was taken to Cheshire Hall Medical Centre where she was stabilized and later flown off island for further medical care.

"Upon confirmation of the incident the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR) issued a beach closure notification from Thompson’s Cove Beach to Froggies ATV, Blue Hills in an abundance of caution. The beach was reopened on Sunday, February 9th at 1pm after it was determined that the shark had moved to deeper water."

It continued: "The shark was estimated to be approximately 6ft in length, however the species is yet to be confirmed.

"Further to the investigation, it has been determined that the tourist had attempted to engage with the animal from the shallows in an attempt to take photographs."

The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources Authorities closed their message by warning other tourists from taking similar actions due to the inherent danger of interacting with these animals, adding to 'respect marine life.'