Officials reopened a Maui beach Thursday, a day after a shark bit off the right arm of a German visitor about 50 yards offshore. The woman, who was about 20 years old, was snorkeling at Palauea Beach when the attack occurred.
A woman from Germany, believed to be 20 years old, was snorkeling at Palauea Beach about 50 yards off shore when she was attacked by a shark 4:41 p.m. Wednesday. The water was choppy and visibility was limited at the time.
Bystanders on shore heard the woman scream, put her on a kayak and brought her to land, according to Lee Mainaga, fire services chief at the Maui Fire Department. He reported, that her right arm was severed below the shoulder. Ladder 14 crew was first on the scene and administered first aid and CPR. Paramedics rushed her to the hospital in critical condition. Her arm was not recovered.
Crews from Ocean Safety, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Fire department personnel worked to close the beaches for one mile in either direction of the incident from Mākena Beach Resort to Mana Kai Resort. About 2 miles of beach in the resort community of Makena reopened at noon after lifeguards and firefighters surveying the ocean found no sign of sharks in the area, Maui County officials said. Helicopters were used to search the ocean. The Maui Fire Department’s Air-1 helicopter and Maui Police were assigned air and land patrols of the shoreline area of the incident.
Two previous incidents with sharks were observed in the area recently.
A shark bit an unmanned board about one-quarter mile offshore of Kaʻa Point near Kanahā Beach in Central Maui on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013. No one was injured in that incident.
Also, a shark attack was reported on Wednesday July 31, 2013, in Ulua Beach area of South Maui. A California woman was treated and released from the hospital after suffering bite marks to her torso.
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