Surfer bitten by a shark in Maui’s Honolua Bay dies after his condition deteriorates

MAUI, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Maui surfer who was bitten by a shark in waters at Honolua Bay has died, Hawaii News Now confirmed Wednesday night.

The victim, a man in his 50s, was initially reported to be in stable condition when he was hospitalized on Tuesday. He underwent surgery, but his condition quickly deteriorated leading to his death.

His name hasn’t yet been publicly released.

It happened just before 8 a.m. Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Maui Fire Department says the victim was already on shore and being given aid when fire department personnel arrived at the scene.

State officials say the man was paddling out from the bay’s old boat ramp when the incident occurred. Conditions in the ocean were poor due to high surf, the officials said.

Photos released Tuesday by the state showed a surfboard with what appears to be a bite mark that measures roughly 17-inches wide. A chunk of board just wider than a foot has been ripped entirely from the rest of the board.

One of the last fatal shark attacks to happen in Maui occurred in 2019.

California doctor Thomas Smiley, who was visiting from Granite Bay, Calif., was fatally bitten while in the waters near the Kaanapali Shores resort.

The World Surf League’s Maui Pro, which began earlier this week at Honolua Bay but had not yet started for the day at the time of the shark attack, was put on hold indefinitely following the incident.

The WSL’s chief executive officer, Erik Logan, made the announcement in a video post on social media.

“We had a shark incident with a recreational surfer,” he said. “Due to that we are putting our event on hold indefinitely. We’ll have more information as it goes as we continue to work with local officials and authorities on the status.”

This story will be updated.

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