Maui Shark Attacks in 2013 Reach 13 After Fisherman is Killed
A fisherman died Monday after a shark attacked his kayak, marking the 13 person killed in Hawaii this year, Maui County Ocean Safety officials said.
The man, 57-year-old Patrick Briney of Stevenson, Wash., was fishing in a kayak between Maui and Molokini, a small island close to the Maui coast that is a popular spot amongst snorkelers and divers.
The man apparently had his feet outside the kayak while he was fishing when the shark bit his lower leg.
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A friend he was with flagged a nearby charter boat, who rushed the man ashore. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died, according to a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Despite the attack occurring well offshore, state officials advised the public to stay out of the water around Makena State Recreation Area in southwest Maui.
There have been eight shark attacks near Maui this year and 13 statewide. On Friday, a woman suffered non-fatal injuries in another Maui attack.
"We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around Maui," said department Chairman William Aila Jr. during a press conference. "That's why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior around Maui that may give us better insights."
Over the last 20 years, Hawaii has averaged about four unprovoked shark incidents per year, the state said.
In August Jana Lutteropp, a 20-year-old German tourist, died a week after losing her arm in a shark attack while she was snorkeling off a beach in southwest Maui.
Lutteropp's death marked the first time since 2004 that Hawaii experienced a fatality due to a shark attack.
Sharks are "an absolute danger, every single day," local fisherman Isaac Brumaghim told ABC. "You have to respect the fact they can bite you at any time."
