The attack took place half a mile off of a point near Little Beach in Makena State Recreation Area. Photo: Shutterstock/iofoto
Patrick Briney was attacked by a shark while fishing off of the coast of Maui, marking the second fatal shark attack in the area this year. The man had been kayak fishing between Makena and Molokini when he was attacked. The shark bit Briney’s foot while he dangled it in the water.
A nearby friend applied a tourniquet and rushed him to a charter boat. Briney was brought to shore and taken to a hospital, but it is believed he died due to injuries during the boat journey. A two-mile stretch of beach was closed soon after the incident.
This year, thirteen attacks have taken place in Hawaii alone – well above the state’s average. For the last 20 years, Hawaii averaged around four unprovoked shark attacks a year. In August, Jana Lutteropp, a German tourist, was killed when a shark bit off her arm while snorkeling off the southwest coast of Maui.
Authorities have asked visitors to stay out of the water around Maui’s Makena State Recreation Area until they can explain the unusually high number of shark attacks.
