Maui shark attack is 13th this year in Hawaii
Maui shark attack is the eighth this year near Maui and the 13th shark attack statewide. With the latest Maui shark attack, officials are unsure as to why the incidents are occurring more frequently than usual.
HONOLULU
A kayak fisherman died Monday off聽Maui聽after a聽shark聽bit his dangling foot, officials said.
Maui聽County Ocean Safety officials received a report that a聽shark聽had聽attacked聽a man fishing in a kayak between聽Maui聽and Molokini, a small island less than three miles (4.8 kilometers) off the southwest coast of聽Maui聽that is popular for diving and snorkeling.
The victim was fishing with artificial lures to attract baitfish, a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said. The聽Maui聽County Police Department identified the kayak fisherman as 57-year-old Patrick Briney of Stevenson, Washington state.
His fishing partner tied a tourniquet on the man and sought help from a nearby charter tour boat. The boat took them to shore, and the man was then taken to a hospital, the state said. It's unclear when he was pronounced dead.聽
The man's identity and the kind of聽shark聽involved were not immediately available.
Though the聽attack聽happened far from shore, the state advised the public to stay out of the water a mile (1.6 kilometers) north and a mile (1.6 kilometers) south of Makena State Recreation Area in southwest聽Maui.
There have been eight聽shark聽attacks聽near聽Maui聽this year and 13 statewide. On Friday, a woman suffered nonfatal injuries in a Maui聽attack.
"We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around聽Maui," said department Chairman William Aila Jr. "That's why we are conducting a two-year study of聽shark聽behavior around聽Maui聽that may give us better insights."
Over the last 20 years, Hawaii has averaged about four unprovoked聽shark聽incidents per year, the state said.
In August, a German tourist died a week after losing her arm in a聽shark聽attack. Jana Lutteropp, 20, was snorkeling up to 100 yards (90 meters) off a beach in southwest聽Maui聽when the聽shark聽bit off her right arm.
Before Lutteropp's death, the last聽shark聽attack聽fatality in Hawaii was in 2004, when a tiger聽shark聽bit Willis McInnis' leg while he was surfing in聽Maui.
Isaac Brumaghim knows firsthand the dangers of kayak fishing, which he said is growing in popularity. He was fishing off Oahu's west coast in April when a camera mounted on his kayak captured footage of a nine-foot (2.7-meter)聽shark聽jumping up and chomping on the tuna he was reeling in.
Sharks聽are "an absolute danger, every single day," he said. "You have to respect the fact they can bite you at any time."
He said bait in the water can easily attract the animal.