According to local officials, a 62-year-old man was injured by a shark attack Sunday in Anaeho’omalu Bay off Hawaii’s Big Island.
A shark bit the Utah man’s left hand while he was swimming about 200 yards offshore in South Kohala. He was bitten behind his left knee while fighting off the shark, according to a news release issued by Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources on Tuesday.
According to the Hawaii Fire Rescue Department, the man managed to swim to the safety of a nearby catamaran, where crew members controlled the man’s bleeding until rescuers arrived.
First responders escorted the man from the catamaran to shore, where he was taken to North Hawaii Hospital by ambulance. There is no word on the man’s condition, nor on the type or size of shark involved in the attack.
Following the shark attack on Sunday, the Department of Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources removed “shark warning” signs from Anaeho’omalu Bay and replaced them with “shark sighted” signs.
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No sharks were spotted during a Hawaii Fire Department helicopter flyover on Monday, so the signs were removed.
Anaeho’omalu Bay, also known as “A-Bay,” is well-known for its crescent-shaped beach, water activities, and coral reef for scuba diving and snorkeling.
The attack on Sunday was the Big Island’s fifth shark bite since September 2021. In December, a shark attack occurred at Waikloa in Anaeho’omalu Bay. Two more attacks were reported in the Kona area, and one in the Keauhou area.
Researchers say the chance of being attacked by a shark is very rare. To lower your risk of an unprovoked shark bite, remove reflective jewelry while in the ocean and avoid areas where people are fishing.
