Two shark attacks in Maui within four days have led to two popular beaches being closed.
Last Wednesday, a woman was bitten while she went for a swim at the shore of the Ulua Beach Park on Maui. She was snorkeling in 10 feet of water about 30 feet from the shore when she was bitten at 8:30 a.m.
Victim Evonne Cashman, 56, told Maui Now: "It happened so fast. I didn't see him coming. I didn't see him leave. He just came and hit me hard, and bit me hard; and I took off swimming to the shore as fast as I could."
Cashman was able to swim to shore after the attack. She suffered bit marks to her hands, chin, and back. One bite on her back is at least 18 inches, which may mean that the shark was at least 25 feet long.
"All of a sudden, out of nowhere, bam," Cashman said. "What went through my mind was, just getting back to shore. And I swam. My mask was gone. I think that might have been what protected my face from getting more (injuries)."
Maui chief for The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), said that Cashman had "limited visibility" in the shark and was not able to identify which species of shark attacked her.
"I'm very lucky that he decided he didn't like me and swam away right away," the victim said. She also noted that the water was choppy and murky and that there was lots of debris, due to a storm couple of days prior.
Beaches were closed immediately from Polo Beach Park to the Mana Kai Maui Resort.
Last Sunday, another person was attacked by a shark while surfing off Oahu's White Plains Beach.
Kiowa Gatewood, 19, believes that it was a Tiger Shark that attacked him. "I was sitting on my board, when all of a sudden I saw this shark come out of the water and grab my leg," he told KHNL. "From there, I had this instinct to like, hit it with my left hand and then it let go and turned around and swam away."
Gatewood required surgery on his left knee and upper calf and is currently recovering from the attack.
However, the shark attack has not stopped him from surfing as he revealed that h plans to surf again.
