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Surfing world mourns tragic death of Maui shark attack victim

andrew reid
·3-min read
Pictured here, the location in Maui where a 56-year-old male surfer died from a shark attack.
A 56-year-old male surfer tragically died after a shark attack in Maui. Pic: WSL/Twitter

The surfing world is in mourning after learning the devastating news that the victim of a shark attack in Hawaii has died.

A 56-year-old man was rushed to hospital after being bitten by the shark in the waters off Honolua Bay on Tuesday, forcing the women's Maui Pro surfing competition to be suspended.

The event was due to get underway a short time after the incident.

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The victim was originally reported to be in stable condition after being rushed to hospital in the immediate aftermath of the shark attack.

Following surgery at the Maui Memorial Medical Centre, however, officials say his condition deteriorated and he couldn't be saved from his injuries.

The World Surf League confirmed the man's tragic death via their official social media channels.

"Our thoughts and hearts are with the victim's family and friends as well as the entire Maui surfing community," World Surf League said in a tweet.

WSL CEO Erick Logan later announced the event's cancellation in a video.

"There’s going to be no competition at the Maui Pro following a shark incident that happened in the bay with a recreational surfer this morning,” Mr Logan said.

"We'll have more information as it goes as we continue to work with local officials and authorities on the status. Our thoughts and prayers are obviously with this victim."

Shocking photos show damage to surfboard

Images show where a shark took a 17-inch bite out of the man's surfboard in the attack, with experts saying the low water visibility near the mouth of the river made conditions prime for a shark attack.

Witnesses were reportedly left traumatised at the site of ocean safety rescue members pulling the victim from the water, before administering CPR.

This photo shows the chunk that the shark took out of the man's surfboard.
The bite from the shark ripped the victim's board to pieces. Pic: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
Seen here, the damage to the Maui shark attack victim's surfboard.
The damage to the victim's surf board was extensive. Pic: Twitter

“It was really sombre and really sad. It was a very eerie feeling to be a part of,” Da Kind Surf Marketing Director Micah Nickens said.

“It was heavy. It was incredible, I mean, people are crying … One of the little girls was out in the water. She’s like eight. I don’t know if she’ll ever recover from it. To be honest, it really scared her."

The tragic incident is the second attack in the area in the past fortnight and the fifth fatal attack in Maui in the past 20 years, while WSL events in Jeffrey's Bay (2015) and Margaret River (2018) were both cancelled because of shark attacks.

with agencies

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