Man injured in apparent shark encounter at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay on Hawaiʻi Island

A 68-year-old man from Waikoloa was transported to the hospital after an apparent shark encounter at ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay on Hawaiʻi Island, state officials report.

The man was swimming approximately 400-yards offshore and reported fighting off a shark with a dive knife, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. He was assisted to shore by stand-up paddle boarders.

The man was taken to the North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital. Officials with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources say that under shark encounter protocols, they will not release the name of the victim, the extent of injuries or their medical condition.

The incident involved a 12-foot tiger shark, according to department reports.

Crews have since posted shark warning signs in the area to alert the public.

This is the second shark/human encounter in the past week in Hawai‘i.

Last Thursday a 60-year-old Washington State woman disappeared after her husband and witnesses reported she was attacked by a shark. An extensive search of the area around Keawakapu Point in South Maui was unsuccessful in locating the woman.