Woman suffers "serious bite" after apparent shark attack on Maui's north shore
Hawaii officials said a woman suffered what appeared to be a shark bite Saturday in a bay on Maui's north shore, and they are warning people to stay out of nearby waters. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said the woman was taken to a hospital for treatment of a "serious bite."
The victim was in critical condition when she was transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center, police said in a statement. Authorities did not identify the woman but police said she was a 51-year-old visitor from France.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon at Pāʻia Bay.
Bystanders brought her to shore until emergency personnel took over, HawaiiNewsNow reported.
"We had all the officers come, life guards, police department — asking that everyone stay out of the water," Cinthia Pacheco, who was at a neighboring beach when the attack happened, told the station. "I think my first reaction was really shocked and I just felt so bad for the person.
Officials put up signs warning people to stay out of the water in the area until at least noon on Sunday.
Witnesses said the water was murky after a night of heavy rain, which poses an increased risk for humans while swimming, HawaiiNewsNow reported.
"When a predator is pursuing a meal, often times in the wild, they'll grab at the first thing that they sense or see that could be a potential meal. In cases of accidental shark bites, often it's just that case of mistaken identity," Sea Life Park Aquarist Supervisor Michelle Benedict told the station.
Research published last year showed that shark attacks against the humans are often a result of mistaken identity. Sharks, according to the research, have limited color perception if they are not completely color blind, and have spatial resolving power that is "considerably worse than humans." So when they are looking for prey, researchers found, they more heavily rely on motion and brightness contrast.
There have been at least two other shark attacks this year in Hawaii, according to state data.
