#shark kanaha

County officials say a 35-year-old man fell off his kite foil about 400 yards off shore of the beach canoe hale. As he was getting back on his board, a shark reportedly bit him in the back side of his upper leg. The man sustained 2- to 3-inch lacerations and was able to make his way back to shore.

“I felt very lucky cause I came right through that same path that the board came through… so I am very thankful today that it was the board and not me,” said Flannery, a resident of San Francisco.

While the exact identity of the species was undetermined, officials said it could have been a tiger shark because of the size and aggressive behavior. The beach closure will remain in effect for the remainder of the day, and ocean safety crews are expected to reassess the area at sunrise on Friday.

Maui stand-up paddle-boarder Dave Peterson said he feels lucky to be alive after a close encounter with an 8 to 9-foot shark at a surf break known as “Boneyard” near Kanaha in Central Maui this morning.

The 8 to 9-foot shark took a bite out of a board that was being used by a stand-up paddler. The paddler was not injured, but retaliated by striking the shark with his paddle.