Tiger shark spotted after woman bitten while swimming off Hawaii resort, officials say
.jpg "A shark bit a 57-year-old woman swimming near the Kukio Golf and Beach Club in Kona, Hawaii, injuring her knee, officials say.")
A shark bit a 57-year-old swimming on an ocean excursion Tuesday in Hawaii in an area where a 10-foot tiger shark had been spotted, authorities say.
Others on the excursion helped the woman, who had a 2-inch puncture wound to her left knee, to safety in a canoe, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. She was taken to a hospital in “stable condition.”
The 17-person excursion, including canoes, paddle-boards and jet skis, set out from Kukio Golf and Beach Club in Kona at 8:50 a.m., the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources reported.
A jet ski operator told the group that a 10-foot tiger shark had been spotted in the area. A shark bit the woman while she swam about 500 yards offshore, the agency said.
Beaches near the resort and along nearby Kua Bay were closed for safety.
A helicopter survey will be conducted Wednesday to determine whether they should be reopened, according to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Tiger sharks, which have been known to attack people, can reach sizes of up to 16 feet.
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Tiger shark spotted after woman bitten while swimming off Hawaii resort, officials say."