Around 8:50 this morning. The Hawaii Fire Department received reports of a shark attack at Kūkio Bay in the North Kona District. Officials stated an ocean excursion tour group of 17 people (eight on stand-up paddle boards, six in canoes, two swimming) were in the ocean, when a jet ski operator told everyone a 10-foot Tiger shark was in the area. Initial reports indicate, one of the two women swimming  apparently encountered a shark. This was about 200 yards offshore. She was transported to the North Hawai‘i Medical Center for treatment. 

Emergency medical crews, officers from the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and personnel from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources also responded to the report later classified as a non-fatal shark incident near the Kūkio Resort Club House on Hawai‘i Island

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has closed Kūkio Bay and nearby Kua Bay for the remainder of the day. The Fire Department will conduct an aerial survey tomorrow morning to determine if any closed beaches will be reopened.

Standard shark incident protocols, detailed in the video below, call for shark warning signs to be posted for one mile in either direction from the incident. Additionally, public shoreline access at Kehakai State Park/Kua Bay and from Kūkio, Four Seasons, and Hualalai resorts are closed today.

DLNR Shark Incident Response Protocols: