In a freak accident a Manhattan private equity director was killed by a shark while scuba diving off the coast of Costa Rica, authorities said, The Fox News reported.
The deceased, Rohina Bhandari, 49, was a senior director at WL Ross & Co. LL, a firm founded by Wilbur Ross. Rohina was identified by friends as the American tourist who was attacked by a tiger shark off of remote Isla del Coco.
On Thursday, Bhandari was hauled out of the water after sustaining severe bites to both her legs, Costa Rica’s Environment Ministry said, Daily News, New York quoted. The park guards and medical personnel vacationing on the island launched a frantic effort to treat her wounds.
Tiger sharks are predators often found around Pacific islands. One of the largest sharks in the world, Tiger sharks have powerful jaws and avoracious appetites. According to a report in the local La Nacion, group’s diving guide noticed the shark approaching and tried to scare it away.
The instructor, a 26-year-old male Costa Rican diving guide, led the group that included Bhandari. He told officials that the shark attacked when his group was surfacing at the tail end of the dive.
Further, the injured guide was taken to a hospital, where he was in stable condition and conscious. He told La Nacion he believed the shark was a female.
Moreover, reports say, a boater and other divers tried to drive the creature away, but it was too late.“Upon reaching the surface, the attack on the tourist was already serious,” the ministry said. Bhandari stayed on Upper East Side, was frequently spotted at the Manhattan charity circuit.
The Wall Street finance executive was part of an 18- member group diving off Cocos Island National Park located 300 miles off the Costa Rican mainland. A well-known World Heritage Site famous for its abundant species of sharks.