A French woman is in critical condition after being 'seriously' bitten by a shark on an island in Hawaii.
On Saturday, the 51-year-old tourist was reportedly seen swimming or snorkelling within 40 feet from the north shore of Paia Bay on Maui island before the horror attack. The ocean's visibility was low at the time, with murky conditions.
A Maui police news release confirmed that she was rushed to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for urgent treatment, with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) saying her bite was “serious.”
The woman has not yet been identified or interviewed by authorities.
Police are now investigating further into the shocking incident.
According to the county’s parks and recreation department, Maui County closed three North Shore beach parks following the attack, including Baldwin Beach Park, Lower Paia Beach Park and Kuau Bay Beach Park.
Typically in Hawaii, warning signs are removed around 24 hours after a shark attack occurs. The parks affected are scheduled to reopen today at 7:00am, a separate news release said.
In accordance with the Hawaiian government's shark incident list, the last time someone was attacked by the predator was on 21 March 2022, where a scuba diver suffered a puncture wound to the right big toe, caused by a Galapagos shark.
The government have considered the incident, which occurred at Kailua-Kona, Keahole Point, a 'provoked incident'.
While there are almost 40 kinds of sharks in Hawaii - from the reef, sandbar, hammerhead, and tiger varieties - statistically, the odds of being attacked are one in 11.5 million.
Sharks in Hawaii play an important role in their diverse marine environment. They have a vital part to play in maintaining the health of species in the food chain, and are a further indication that their oceans are healthy.
