Maui is a lovely, tranquil place that seems like home no matter where you’re from; largely known as a honeymoon destination, it’s also a wonderful place to get away and relax. This week, however, has been a bad week for the island, as two people have reported violent shark attacks on two different beaches.
Kiowa Gatewood was surfing off Oahu’s White Plains Beach last Sunday when he says he was attacked by a tiger shark.
“I was sitting on my board, when all of a sudden I saw this shark come out of the water and grab my leg,” the 19-year-old said. “From there, I had this instinct to like, hit it with my left hand and then it let go and turned around and swam away.”
Gatewood has undergone surgery and is now recovering. But on Wednesday, Evvone Cashman said she was swimming about 30 feet from shore at Ulua Beach in Wailea when a massive shark swam up, bit her, and then swam away. She said everything happened so fast, and the water was so murky, that she didn’t even get a good look at the creature. She suffered a 15-inch gash on her spine and injuries to her hands.
“I must have had my hands up in front of my face. I think my head was above water, if I remember correctly. I don’t know because it happened so fast. I didn’t see him coming. I didn’t see him leave. He just came and hit me hard and bit me hard and I just took off to the shore as fast as I could,” Cashman said.
Doctors believe, by the size of the wounds, that Cashman was attacked by a 25-foot shark. The beach was closed right after the attack but reopened the next day.