A 55-year-old Canadian woman lost both her hands in a shark attack while vacationing in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The woman, in hip-deep water with her husband, was bitten by a seven-foot bull shark that first bumped her legs, then bit her thigh and severed both hands when she tried to protect herself.

Her husband managed to fight off the shark, allowing her to escape to the beach.

The woman was airlifted to Canada for surgery, the Independent has reported.

A GoFundMe has raised over $23,000 for the couple. Shark attacks in the region are rare, with this being one of the few involving a bull shark.

Written by B.C. Begley