The Maui News

Beaches in the Paia area were set to reopen today, after being closed when a 51-year-old woman was bitten by a shark Saturday afternoon at Paia Bay.

The woman, a visitor from France, had been snorkeling in murky water, police said.

When officers responded to the beach at 4:09 p.m., bystanders had brought the victim to shore and tended to her injuries until medics and firefighters took over, police said.

Police said the woman was transported in critical condition to Maui Memorial Medical Center.

Her injury was described as a “serious bite,” according to a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The county closed three north shore beach parks — Baldwin Beach Park, Lower Paia Beach Park and Kuau Bay Beach Park — after the shark bite was reported. The parks were scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. today.

In separate news released, police said the woman was 100 yards from shore, the county reported she was 40 feet from shore and DLNR said she was 100 feet from shore.

DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources employees and county ocean safety officers put up signs warning people to stay out of the water for 1 mile on either side of Paia Bay fronting the basketball courts. The woman was bitten in the water fronting the basketball courts, according to DLNR.

Witnesses reported the water appeared to be murky with low visibility, the department reported. DLNR employees haven’t been able to interview the woman, the department said Sunday.

While normal procedure is to take down shark warning signs at noon, a day after a shark encounter, the county decided to close the beach parks until this morning.