The number one vacation island in the world has a very dark side this year. This is the eighth shark attack this year off the beaches of Maui in the US Aloha State of Hawaii.

The latest victim of now more frequent shark attacks in Hawaii is a tourist from Stevenson, Washington by the name of Patrick A. Briney.
Today he was fishing with a friend from Makena Landing towards Big Beach on Maui when he was attacked by a shark.

Briney’s friend, who was about 500 yards away, paddled over, tied a tourniquet and asked a nearby charter tour boat for help. The boat brought the injured man to the Kihei boat ramp, but he died upon reaching shore, officials said.

We are not sure why these shark attacks are occurring more frequently than normal, especially around Maui, a Hawaii Department of Natural Resources (DLNR) press release issued by their chairman William J. Aila, Jr. said today That’s why we are conducting a two-year study of shark behavior around Maui that may give us better insights

Following the shark attack, Maui County lifeguards and officials from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources closed beaches from Makena Landing to the surf area known as “Dumps” until noon Tuesday and warning signs were posted.

The attack at Keawakapu Beach was about three miles north of White Rock, where 20-year-old visitor from Germany Jana Lutterrop was bitten by a shark Aug. 14. She lost her right arm in the attack and died a week later of her injuries.

According to the Division of Aquatic Resources, this is the 13th reported shark incident statewide this year, and the 8th on Maui. Over the last 20 years, Hawaii has averaged about four unprovoked shark incidents per year, but numbers per individual year are highly variable.