‘Shark encounter’: Man killed by shark in tourist hotspot
A man has died in what authorities called a “shark encounter” at a holiday hotspot visited by three million tourists every year.
A man has died due to injuries from what authorities called a “shark encounter” off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.
Police arrived at Paia Bay on the northern coast of the iconic holiday island at about 11:19am on Saturday.
Officers used a jet ski to bring the 39-year-old man to shore, Maui police said in a statement.
He had been surfing at the beach during “mixed” water conditions due to large waves and high tide, according to Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
On shore, first responders carried out “lifesaving measures” before medics arrived to transport the man to Maui Memorial Medical Centre.
He could not be saved and died from his injuries at about 5:30pm on Saturday, police said.
The man’s identity was not immediately released to give his family time to notify loved ones.
He was is originally from Haiku, a small community on Maui’s north side, police said.
Following the fatal incident, shark warning signs were posted along a six-kilometre stretch around Paia Bay, between Baby Beach to Tavares Bayalong.
Baldwin Beach Park and Baby Beach were closed, authorities confirmed.
“By noon on Sunday, if no further signs of shark activity are detected, signs will be taken down,” DNLR said in a Facebook post.
There were no initial signs of foul play. The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is scheduled, according to the police department.
About three million tourists descend on Maui, Hawaii’s second largest island, each year.
Researchers say there is a higher likelihood of being bitten by a shark in the waters around the Pacific archipelago between October and December, according to the Division of Aquatic Resources, part of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Hawaii’s last fatal shark encounter also occurred in Maui, when a snorkeller was killed on December 8, 2022.
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