Fatal Shark Attack on Swimmer in Croatia's Adriatic Waters

On September 11, 1907, a fatal shark incident occurred in the Adriatic Sea at Sucurja, a small town on the eastern cape of Hvar Island in Croatia's Split-Dalmatia region. The victim was a public school teacher who was swimming relatively close to shore when the attack occurred. According to contemporary accounts, a large shark was observed swimming directly toward the victim. Despite her attempts to swim to safety and reach the shore, the shark seized her by the leg near the water's edge. The animal then pulled her beneath the surface, resulting in her death. The incident was witnessed by numerous people on the shore who were unable to provide assistance. The attack was documented in local Croatian publications and subsequently recorded in international shark incident archives. At the time of this incident, shark attacks in the Mediterranean region were comparatively rare, making this a particularly notable event in the historical record of shark-human interactions. The exact species of shark involved in the attack was not documented in available records. The case was later investigated and catalogued by the Global Shark Accident File as a confirmed fatal unprovoked shark attack.