THE owner of tour boat company Seas the Day said it has temporarily shut down operations in the wake of a shark attack that claimed the life of one of his customers last week.

Jeff Moulton, the owner of Seas The Day Bahamas, told YourErie.com about the efforts by the boat’s crew to help 58-year-old Caroline DiPlacido of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania.

She died last week after a shark attack while snorkelling with family near Green Cay. Police say the family came by cruise ship and booked a tour with a local company — later identified as Seas the Day — that took them to the cay.

It was further reported that family members observed a bull shark attacking the woman.

According to YourErie, a Pennsylvania-based outlet, the woman was “standing in about three feet of water when she was attacked”.

Mr Moulton claimed that her son gouged the shark’s eye to remove it off his mother, YourErie reported.

According to the article, Mr Moulton said the boat’s captain drove in the direction of the woman to run over the shark and then pull her on board.

“The tourniquet was not applicable. The daughter worked on her mother the entire way back. I don’t know how she did it, trying to get the bleeding under control, but was unsuccessful,” the boat owner told YourErie.

Mr Moulton felt that his crew handled the incident “to the best of their ability”.

“I think he did everything right, but sometimes everything right is still not enough. But I’m proud of what he did and I just hate the outcome is what it is,” he said.

Press liaison officer Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings had previously said that Green Cay is known for snorkelling excursions, however the beach has been temporarily closed by officials for such operations.

Mr Moulton told the American outlet that his company has shut down its operation after the incident.

“Right now we’ve shut down our operation. We’re not doing anything right now. We know people are still going to come down there and still want to go snorkelling the beautiful waters of The Bahamas. There are going to be excursion companies lined up to take them, but I don’t know if we’ll ever be one of those again. I don’t know,” he said.

On its Facebook page, the company released a statement expressing sympathy for the tragic accident.

“All of us at Seas The Day are deeply saddened and shocked by the shark attack at Green Cay yesterday (last Tuesday). Please keep the family in your prayers,” the company said.