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A 39-year-old surfer from Haʻikū has died after a shark encounter at Pāʻia Bay, on the north shore of Maui. The incident has prompted beach closures and shark warnings in the region.
The encounter occurred Saturday morning around 11:12 a.m., as Maui Now reports. According to the Maui Police Department, its officers responded around 11:19 a.m., after receiving calls about a “shark incident.” When they arrived, Fire and Ocean Safety officers had already removed the victim from the water via Jet Ski and were performing life-saving measures. The man was then transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. His identity has not been released yet, pending notification of his next of kin.
In response to the incident, authorities closed Baldwin Beach Park and Lower Paia Park, per KITV. Shark warning signs were also put up one mile on either side of the attack site: from Tavares Bay to Baby Beach. The signs will be removed by noon on Sunday if no further signs of sharks are detected.
