A 73-year-old man in California sustained minor injuries in a shark attack on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Friday morning, state officials said.
The unidentified victim was snoring in front of the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Lahaina when he was attacked and torn apart, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources in Hawaii.
“First respond, law enforcement officers on ocean safety and conservation areas are always happy when someone walks away from a shark with only minor injuries,” the department said in a statement.
The victim called 911 and was taken to a hospital, where he was questioned by Water Department education specialist Adam Wong as part of ongoing documentation of shark attacks, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said.
A stretch of beach, popularly known as Kaanapali, will be closed on Saturday afternoon. Signs were placed bearing ‘Warning Shark Sighted Keep Out’.
State officials said officers will patrol the area to warn people not to go into the water.
Last month, a surfer was fatally attacked by a shark at Honolua Bay in Maui, officials said. A 14-foot tiger shark was blamed for the attack, which included ‘serious tear wounds’ to the victim’s left leg.
