Woman Rescued by Pastor During Shark Attack Dies After Losing Arm
A German tourist who lost her arm in a shark attack while vacationing in Hawaii died on Wednesday, a week after a California pastor rescued her out of the water upon hearing her alarming screams.
Jana Lutteropp was initially in critical condition last week but was later placed on life support at a Maui hospital before she succumbed to her injuries.
Lutteropp's mother, Jutta Lutteropp, and sister, Julia Broeske, released a statement remembering Jana as "a very beautiful, strong young woman who was always laughing, and we will forever remember her that way," reports AP news.
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Jana traveled to Hawaii to celebrate the end of her first year as an au pair according to Cultural Care Au Pair's Facebook page, the agency she worked with. She was snorkeling 50 yards off the Palauea Beach shore, in southern Maui when a shark severed her arm before Rick Moore, a pastor and physical education teacher, on vacation from Laguna Niguel, Calif., jumped in to save her without hesitation.
"As soon as we stand on the beach, we heard this bloodcurdling scream," said Moore, according to AP. "We look out, and there was blood everywhere in the white water around her. I started crying out to God, and I got this burst of strength."
Upon grabbing Jana, he realized his own life was in danger and he began praying out loud, "God, God protect us" while she kept telling him she was dying. He assured her she would be safe and upon getting to shore, he performed CPR while she was going in and out of consciousness until first responders arrived.
Jana's fatal attack is now drawing attention from state officials who announced that they plan to spend the next two years studying shark movements around Maui. The last deadly shark attack in Hawaii occurred in 2004, when a tiger shark bit a man in the leg while surfing 100 yards off Maui.
