State and county ocean safety officials were expected to keep about a one-mile stretch of beach closed through noon today in northwest Maui after a 16-year-old California girl was bitten by a shark Tuesday about 10 feet from shore.
The girl, vacationing with her family, suffered a 3- to 5-inch cut on her left calf, and Maui fire personnel provided medical treatment, authorities said.
The Livermore, Calif., family declined an ambulance ride and got the girl to a medical center on their own.
"It’s a very small injury," said Russell Sparks, an education specialist with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Sparks said the injury was consistent with a bite from a small reef shark. Lifeguards posted warning signs in the area and were looking for sharks.
The incident happened about 10 a.m. Tuesday in Kahana. The girl’s father was kneeling in the water next to her and said he felt something bump his lower back. Shortly after, the girl said something bit her, state officials said.
The two were in the water fronting the Hololani Resort at 4401 Lower Honoapiilani Road, about a third of a mile north of a shark attack in 2004 that killed surfer Willis McInnis.
McInnis, who was attacked about 300 yards from shore, suffered massive blood loss from a 12- to 14-inch bite to his midcalf and upper right thigh.
Visitors said Tuesday they saw a monk seal, turtles and a 5-foot shark swimming in nearshore waters at about sunset Monday.
"I was washing off some of the sand, and I turned around and I saw just a dorsal fin, and then my mom yelled ‘shark,’" said Isla Dubendorf, a visitor from Washington state.
"It was about a foot or two away from me. … I ran really fast because I was really scared."
Dubendorf’s mother, Heather, said she was alarmed when she heard of Tuesday’s incident. "I ran down there and unfortunately a girl did get bit — luckily it wasn’t Isla," she said.
"I wasn’t really expecting to see a shark. I was expecting to see a lot of beautiful fish, which we have seen, and a monk seal out there, and lots of turtles, but the shark — it must be pretty rare, I don’t know," Heather Dubendorf said.
The Dubendorfs said they planned to do more snorkeling, but in a different part of the island.
"It’s beautiful here. Maui no ka oi (Maui is the best)," Heather Dubendorf said.
———
Freelance writer Wendy Osher contributed to this story.
