72
WENDY OSHER/SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Officials posted warning signs and closed Ulua Beach in south Maui after a shark attack this morning.
A woman underwent surgery after being attacked by a shark Wednesday morning in south Maui.
The attack happened in murky water between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. about 30 feet off a rocky point fronting Ulua Beach in Wailea, authorities said.
The woman was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center and was recovering Wednesday night after the surgery.
Within a little more than a year, there have been nine shark attacks off Maui — seven injuring people and two damaging boards, according to the website Hawaiisharks.com
Ulua Beach is a popular snorkeling area for residents and visitors.
Wednesday‘s shark attack was the fourth in the state and the third on Maui this year. Two of them injured surfers.
Nearly three miles of beach were closed until at least noon today, pending a ocean safety evaluation by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Water safety officials posted shark warning signs and patrolled the three-mile stretch of coastline by watercraft.
Department enforcement branch chief Matt Yamamoto said officials could re-open the beach by midday depending on safety conditions.
