Woman Bitten by Shark in Puako

An elderly woman made her way back to shore after an apparent shark attack in Puako Sunday, according to a report from the Hawai‘i Fire Department.

HFD responded a little after 4:30 p.m. to a call about a 70-year-old female who was bitten by a shark in the waters off of Puako Beach Drive. The victim reported she’d been snorkeling in 10 feet of water when she was bitten on the left ankle by an 8-foot shark.

The woman was able to swim to shore under her own power, where an off-duty ocean safety personnel provided bleeding control prior to the arrival of emergency medical services. She was transported to North Hawai‘i Community Hospital and listed in stable condition.

HFD Chopper 2 did a flyover, searching the coastline for the shark with negative findings.