Shark bites snorkeler; Maui beaches closed
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HONOLULU — A woman snorkeling off Maui was bitten by a shark Monday, about an hour after a nearby beach was closed because of a shark sighting.
The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center. The injuries were to her foot and calf and were not life-threatening, said Maui County spokeswoman Mahina Martin. Authorities did not identify the woman.
The attack occurred off Keawakapu Beach in Kihei. It was reported by a bystander. The size and type of shark was not known.
Earlier a surfer reported that his friend’s surfboard was bumped by what appeared to be a tiger shark at nearby Kamaole Beach Park II. The report prompted the county to close the beach and issue an alert.
“Normally, what happens in a shark sighting is they close that front area and one mile up and down the beach,” Martin said.
Keawakapu is more than a mile from Kamaole, she said.
After the attack, the beach closure was expanded to a four-mile stretch from Kalama Park to Wailea.
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