The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:26 PM

Wall Street Big Player Killed In Shark Attack Off Coast Of Costa Rica

A 49-year-old Wall Street private equity manager was killed by a tiger shark while diving with a group off a Costa Rican island, according to officials.

Rohina Bhandari, 49, who lived in the Upper East Side, suffered fatal bites to both her legs Thursday while off diving with a group near Cocos Island, a national park about 300 miles off the Costa Rican mainland, the environment ministry said in a statement.

Bhandari was a senior director at WL Ross & Co. LL, a firm founded by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and often attended New York City charity events.

The death of the vibrant brunette came as a shock to her friends.

“Unbelievably sad and heartbreaking news that Rohina has died,” posted Julie Walker, one of her Facebook friends.

“She was such a wonderful person who loved life. I will always remember her kindness, friendship and our adventures together.”

Tiger sharks are predators often found around Pacific islands.

According to a report in the local La Nacion, it was the group’s diving guide that noticed the shark approaching underwater and tried to scare it away.