American tourists felt 'nudge' before shark attack at popular Bahamas resort

"I just put my head in my hands and started praying that God wouldn't take my life and that I would live," one of the women told NBC's "Today." 

"I felt something nudge my leg," the 20-year-old woman told "Today." "About two minutes later, we were right by the ladder, and I felt my leg get tugged down. I immediately knew I was bitten by a shark."

The tourists were attacked by what appeared to be a bull shark, leaving one woman with serious injuries. 

Family and friends quickly pulled the pair to safety, wrapping a tourniquet around one woman's legs and racing to find help. 

"They yelled to me that the top of my foot was shredded, and I just hadn't realized until I looked down," the 24-year-old said in the interview. 

The women told the outlet that once their injuries were stable, they were transported to an Orlando, Florida, hospital, where the 20-year-old victim will undergo a third surgery.  

The incident remains under investigation, and both women are expected to make a full recovery. 

"I will never put my toes in [the water] ever again," one of the women told "Today."

Despite the attack, research suggests that global shark bites are actually becoming less common. 

A Massachusetts newlywed was killed off the coast of New Providence Island in December 2023. Lauren Erickson Van Wart, 44, was paddleboarding less than a mile from land when she was attacked and killed.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for further information.   

Fox News Digital's Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.