Yvonne Martin says she was bitten on the upper thigh by a shark during a Club Med Turkoise sailing lesson after staff allegedly ordered her to jump into water about 75 feet from shore. The lawsuit claims resort personnel delayed adequate medical care, missing a critical six- to eight-hour window, which led to infection, emergency surgery and lengthy rehabilitation. Martin seeks at least $500,000 in damages and alleges permanent nerve damage and massive scarring.
U.S. Tourist Sues Club Med After Alleged Shark Bite, Claims Delayed Care Led to Permanent Damage
Club Med guest claims shark attack left her with ‘permanent nerve damage’ and ‘massive scarring’: lawsuit
A U.S. tourist, Yvonne Martin of Columbia, Maryland, is suing Club Med after she says a shark bit her upper thigh during a sailing lesson at Club Med Turkoise in the Turks and Caicos. In a federal complaint reviewed by The Independent, Martin alleges resort staff ordered her to jump from a Hobie Cat about 75 feet from shore and then failed to provide timely, adequate medical care.
FILE PHOTO: A Maryland woman is suing Club Med in the Caribbean after an alleged shark attack put her in the hospital (Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint says Martin was participating in a sailing lesson organized by Club Med personnel when weather approached and staff on another boat instructed her to disembark and swim the final distance to shore. Shortly after entering the water, she says, a shark bit her upper thigh. Martin managed to return to the beach, where another guest — not resort staff — attended to her bleeding wound.
Club Med guest Yvonne Martin says in her lawsuit that she was told by a sailing instructor to swim 75 feet back to shore, during which time she claims she was bitten by a shark (Getty Images)
The suit alleges that a resort nurse recorded Martin's credit card information but "was unable to provide adequate assistance," and that an ambulance summoned by staff did not arrive for roughly an hour. The complaint further asserts that Martin's initial hospital stay was cut short because of disputes over the resort's liability coverage and that she was sent back to the resort and told to remain in her room while insurance matters were sorted out.
Shark attacks in the Turks and Caicos archipelago are rare, but they do happen. Club Med guest Yvonne Martin is suing the resort chain over a shark bite she says she got during an October 2024 stay (AFP via Getty Images)
Medical Consequences
The complaint emphasizes that there is a six- to eight-hour window after a shark bite to receive treatment and stitching to reduce the risk of infection. It alleges that missed treatment during that window led to a worsening infection that required emergency care in Miami, invasive surgery, extensive physical therapy and prolonged hospitalization. Martin claims she has sustained "permanent nerve damage, massive scarring, mental anguish, humiliation, and loss of enjoyment of life."
Martin's attorney, Jim Tate, told The Independent: "She was at the Turks and Caicos Club Med alone for her holiday and after her injury was totally at the mercy of Club Med. It seems that rather than make sure that Ms. Martin received proper care, Club Med concentrated on finding insurance."
A Club Med spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, according to reporting.
Context And Damages Sought
The complaint notes that shark attacks in the Turks and Caicos are rare but not unheard of, and cites several previous severe local incidents. Martin is seeking damages to be determined by a jury of no less than $500,000, in addition to attorneys' fees and court costs. The complaint has been filed in U.S. federal court in Maryland; it alleges the attack occurred while Martin was staying at Club Med Turkoise overlooking Grace Bay on Providenciales.
Note: All allegations above are taken from the plaintiff's complaint and have not been proven in court. The resort has not provided a public response in the reporting reviewed.
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