A man fishing off the Maui coastline died Monday after being severely bitten by a shark.
"When the boat got closer, we saw that the person in the kayak, age 30 to 40 years old, was missing his foot and his calf. Most of it was torn off to the bone." (Via CNN)
The man fishing for bait had his foot dangling from his kayak when the shark attacked him biting off his leg and part of his calf muscle. (Via WABC)
The more disturbing part of this attack is it comes as part of a surge of shark attacks in Hawaii this year.
According to Maui News, there was another attack just off the coastline only three days prior and a fatal attack of a German tourist in August. (Via Daily Mail)
"In all there have been eight attacks near Maui this year and 13 across the state." (Via ABC)
The Department of Land and Natural Resources released a statement saying, "We are not sure why these bites are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around Maui. That’s why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior around Maui that may give us better insights."
Since the attack Monday morning, beaches in that area have been closed, but they could open back up Tuesday if no more sharks are found in the vicinity.
