In a rare and terrifying attack, a 28 year old marine biologist was killed by a leopard seal in the Antarctic Peninsula while snorkelling.
On July 22, 2003, Kirsty Brown, a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) marine biologist, was reportedly in the water with another researcher as they undertook survey work when a seal attacked without warning and dragged Kirsty beneath the surface.
A spokeswoman for the BAS said Kirsty and her snorkelling “buddy” were at her study site in the bay adjacent to the UK’s Rothera Research Station when the fatal attack occurred.
The young marine biologist was reportedly hauled from the water by two colleagues who were on the shore and witnessed the incident – immediately racing to Kirsty’s aid.
Kirsty’s colleagues reportedly started resuscitation attempts in the rescue boat itself as they transported her back to the research station base for medical help, reports the Mirror.
Tragically, efforts to revive the marine biologist proved unsuccessful as she heartbreakingly died.
Her horrifying death was believed to be the first documented human fatality caused by a leopard seal and left scientists worried about potential future seal attacks as the number of people working in the region continued to increase.
The 28-year-old had joined the BAS the previous summer on a 30-month contract and was examining the impact of scouring by icebergs on marine animals living near the shores of the Antarctic peninsula. A now-viral TikTok by thewanderingbeard2.0 explored Kirsty’s death and the circumstances surrounding it.
At the time of Kirsty’s passing, a statement by BAS declared: “Despite carrying out cardio-pulmonary resuscitation for one hour, the station doctor and [her] colleagues were unable to revive her.”
Her tragic death shocked the Antarctic research community as a verdict of accidental death was recorded on November 14 that year by the Coroner for the British Antarctic Territory during an inquest.
According to the BAS, initial reports indicated Kirsty and her colleague had adhered to all safety procedures completely and determined that personnel at the research station had managed the incident properly.
Leopard seals are solitary animals named after their distinctive spotted coat and are typically not known to attack humans.
With a massive head and jaws containing canines that could reach up to an inch in length, a male leopard seal can grow as long as 3.5 metres and could weigh more than 500 kilograms.
Their average lifespan is around 25 years.
The marine creature is known to be curious when encountering humans, however attacks are deemed uncommon unless provoked.
BAS divers were typically instructed to avoid working where leopard seals were present.
According to the BAS, Kirsty’s death was the first such attack documented in 30 years of snorkelling and diving by its personnel. At the time, BAS ecophysiologist and Head of the Life at the Edge: Stresses and Thresholds (LATEST) Research Programme, Lloyd Peck, had disclosed that researchers regularly dived during winter months, as they were not deemed a particularly hazardous period of the year to be underwater.
He also portrayed Kirsty as “full of energy and enthusiasm … a good scientist who worked very hard and could do boring mundane aspects of work with a smile on her face.”
In his statement, Lloyd said he “wished all scientists were like Kirsty” and disclosed they were determined to continue her project.
Kirsty had qualified in geology and oceanography, having worked as a diver and research scientist in Greenland and Australia before she joined the BAS’s LATEST Research Programme the previous summer. The West Sussex native’s project had been designed to explore more deeply the impacts of iceberg disturbance on plant and animal communities that inhabited the near-shore Antarctic seabed.
Kirsty had nearly finished the first phase of her research, which had involved positioning 500 concrete and plasticine markers in order to monitor iceberg gouging on the seabed. In a joint statement, Kirsty’s parents, Tim and Judith Brown, her sisters Didi and Camilla and her brother, Duncan, said: “Naturally we are devastated about the news from the Antarctic – it all seems quite unreal. Kirsty was a great girl and we are all very proud of her. Right now we are looking to spend some quiet time at home with the family.”
The marine biologist’s family resided in Southwater, near Horsham, West Sussex.
In a statement issued at the time, BAS director, Chris Rapley, said: “This is tragic and shocking. My heart goes out to Kirsty’s family and her colleagues at Rothera. Kirsty was a vibrant, dynamic individual committed to her science and with a promising scientific career ahead of her. The Rothera team reacted in a highly efficient and professional manner… They are, however, shaken by the loss of a colleague and will need our support.”