Victim in reported shark attack in Waikōloa was visiting from Utah

The Hawaiʻi State Division of Aquatic Resources took down shark warning signs on Monday at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay on Hawai‘i Island, following an apparent attack by a shark over the weekend.

On Sunday, a 62-year-old Utah man was swimming approximately 200 yards offshore when a shark bit his left hand, according to a press release from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. While trying to fight off the shark, he felt another bite behind his left knee.

After calling out for help, officials say a nearby vessel took him to shore, where the Hawai‘i Fire Department met him and took him to North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea. The Department of Land and Natural Resources does not release victims’ names, extent of injuries or medical condition.

“Shark Sighted” signs were posted at the beach following the incident, and the beach remained closed for the remainder of Sunday. Signs were taken down after no sharks were spotted by the fire crews during a helicopter flyover on Monday.

Sunday’s incident marks the Big Island’s fifth shark bite since September 2021 islandwide. There was a shark bite in Waikōloa at Anaeho‘omalu Bay in December of 2022. Two other attacks were reported in the Kona area and another was reported in the Keauhou area, not far from Kona.