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A kayak fisherman died Monday after a shark attack off Maui, local officials said.
Maui County Ocean Safety officials received a report that a shark
attacked a man fishing in a kayak between Maui and Molokini, a small
island less than 3 miles off the southwest coast of Maui that's popular
for diving and snorkeling.
Maui County police identified the man as Patrick Briney, 57, of Stevenson, Wash.
The shark bit his dangling foot while he fished with artificial lures to
attract baitfish, a news release from the state Department of Land and
Natural Resources said.
His fishing partner in another kayak tied a tourniquet on the man and
sought help from a nearby charter tour boat. The boat took them to
shore, and the man was then taken to a hospital, the state said.
The kind of shark involved was not immediately available.
Though the attack happened far from shore, the state advised the public
to stay out of the water a mile north and a mile south of Makena State
Recreation Area in southwest Maui.
There have been eight shark attacks near Maui this year and 13
statewide. On Friday, a woman suffered nonfatal injuries in a Maui
attack.
"We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than
normal, especially around Maui," said department Chairman William Aila
Jr. "That's why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior
around Maui that may give us better insights."
Over the last 20 years, Hawaii has averaged about four unprovoked shark incidents per year, the state said.
In August, a German tourist died a week after losing her arm in a shark
attack. Jana Lutteropp, 20, was snorkeling up to 100 yards off a beach
in southwest Maui when the shark bit off her right arm.
Before Lutteropp's death, the last shark attack fatality in Hawaii was
in 2004, when a tiger shark bit Willis McInnis' leg while he was surfing
in Maui.
Isaac Brumaghim knows firsthand the dangers of kayak fishing, which he
said is growing in popularity. He was fishing off Oahu's west coast in
April when a camera mounted on his kayak captured footage of a 9-foot
shark jumping up and chomping on the tuna he was reeling in.
Sharks are "an absolute danger, every single day," he said. "You have to respect the fact they can bite you at any time."
He said bait in the water can easily attract the animal.
"Just a little bit of blood, a little meat in the water, that's all you need," he said. "It's like dogs out there."
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