DIRE STRAITS

Hawaiian Surfer Dies After Shark Attack off Maui Coast

The attack was Hawaii’s first—and likely its last—fatal shark encounter of 2023.

A 39-year-old surfer suffered a fatal shark bite off the Maui coast on Saturday morning, local officials said. The incident was the only deadly encounter of the seven that Hawaii reported in 2023, and the second fatal attack of the year in the United States, according to trackingsharks.com. Officials with the Department of Land and Natural Resources said the encounter took place a little after 11 a.m., noting that the coastline was lined with shark warning signs for a mile in both directions. First responders brought the victim to shore on a Jet Ski, according to a police press release; he later died from his wounds in the hospital. Beaches were shut down after the attack, while authorities canvassed the water on Jet Skis for any more victims, Hawaiian News Now reported. Officials identified the surfer as a resident of the town of Haiku, a 15-minute drive from the beach where the attack occurred, but have withheld his name until extended family has been notified. Sharks rarely attack humans, though some regions—such as the U.S. East Coast and southern Australia—have seen encounters increase in recent years.