Nearby shark attack on man stops Hawaii surfing contest, leaves 17-inch bite in board

A man paddling on a surf board in Hawaii’s Honolua Bay was attacked by a shark Tuesday morning, sending him to a hospital for emergency surgery, according to state officials.

He died Wednesday evening at Maui Memorial Medical Center, The Maui News reports. State officials have not released the man’s identity.

The attack coincided with the World Surf League Women’s Professional Surfing Competition in the same area, but the victim was not part of the event, officials said in a new release.

Still, organizers of the event “voluntarily suspended the competition” and the state’s Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation also suspended its permit for the contest, officials said. A tweet from the World Surf League said the Maui Pro competition was “on hold until further notice.”

Investigators say “a 56-year-old man from Lahaina was paddling out from the old ramp in the bay” when the attack occurred. “The man was taken to the hospital and admitted for surgery,” officials said in a news release. Lahaina is in West Maui.

State officials said they did not know if others were nearby in the water at the time of the attack.

Photos shared by the Department of Land and Natural Resources show the shark bit down at least twice on the surf board, and eventually took out a 17-inch bite. State officials did not speculate on the type of shark or its size.

Shark warning signs were erected at various points on beaches and in parks around Honolua Bay, officials said.

“Following standard protocol, after a shark incident, warning signs will remain in place until at least noon on Wednesday, after Maui County and State personnel determine there is no further shark presence,” officials said.

This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Nearby shark attack on man stops Hawaii surfing contest, leaves 17-inch bite in board."