A French woman is in serious condition after being bitten by a shark in Hawaii on Saturday afternoon. According to our CNN colleagues, it was in Paia Bay, north of the island of Maui, where this 51-year-old woman was bitten while diving.
Local police say in a statement issued hours after the accident that “the victim was seen swimming, possibly diving, in murky water about 100 meters from shore prior to the incident.”
The woman was rescued by bystanders who knocked her down before she was attended to by rescuers.
A “serious” bite
She was transported in serious condition to the Maui Hospital Center for treatment. The Department of Land and Natural Resources said the bite was “serious.” The police have opened an investigation to determine the causes of this accident.
According to Hawaii News Now, witnesses said the water was cloudy due to heavy rain the day before. Conditions that could explain such an attack, according to several specialists quoted by the news site.
Closure of beaches
“In cases of accidental shark bites, it’s often mistaken identity,” said Michelle Benedict, who works at the US Oceanarium Sea Life Park Hawaii.
A few hours after the accident, the authorities closed the beaches of the bay and the natural parks until Monday morning for security reasons. In 2021, a shark killed a kitesurfer in the same bay and injured several people.
Source: BFM TV
