This article was published on 10 December 2020 and updated on 6 October 2026.
On 10 December 2020, a 38-year-old woman died in a shark attack in Orient Bay, on the French side of Saint-Martin. She had been swimming off the beach. The contemporary SoualigaPost report reported her death and a severe leg injury.
Update of 6 October 2026
Almost six years after the fatal attack, SoualigaPost reports on the court proceedings. On 21 May 2026, the Saint-Martin administrative court ordered the French state and the Collectivité to pay compensation jointly. The awards total €82,800, plus interest; the local report adds €3,000 in legal costs. The claim had sought €268,000.
According to SoualigaPost, the court found shortcomings in informing and protecting swimmers. It also attributed a share of responsibility to the swimmer, reducing the state and Collectivité’s liability by ten per cent. These are the court’s findings, not an explanation of the shark’s behaviour.
The interior minister requested a stay of enforcement against the state. The court order of 14 September 2026 rejects that request, finding insufficient evidence of a risk that the paid sums would be permanently lost. This refused a stay; the order does not decide the appeal on its merits.
The attack of 10 December 2020
Gendarmes and firefighters attended the beach and secured the area. The Collectivité subsequently banned swimming and water sports along the coast for an initial 48 hours. These measures concern December 2020, not a current beach closure.
The shark species was still unknown in the initial report. An autopsy was to determine which animal had attacked the woman. The later court decision describes the incident as a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) attack.
