An 11-year-old girl sustained injuries after a shark bite incident in Hawaii on Saturday, marking the state’s first recorded shark encounter of 2024.
“The 911 call came in just before 1:30 p.m. for an 11-year-old girl who may have suffered a shark bite to her left foot at [a] spot known as ‘Rainbows’ in Ka‘a‘awa,” Shayne Enright from the Honolulu Emergency Services Department told NBC News. “A witness described seeing what appeared to be a small reef shark in the area.”
An 11-year-old girl suffered a possible shark bite at a surf spot in Hawaii on Saturday, according to local officials. https://t.co/8anfoxuGKN
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 4, 2024
Eyewitness and frequent beachgoer, Rodney Sekona, said that the shark attack was a rare incident. “I used to see sharks over here but I used to dive out here but they don’t bother me at all,” Sekona said, according to Hawaii News Now. “I was surprised, surprised somebody got bitten here.” (RELATED: Teen Surfer Dies After Shark Bites Off His Leg In Front Of His Dad: REPORT)
Emergency Medical Services confirmed the girl’s injuries after being bitten. While they were serious, they were not life-threatening, Hawaii News Now reported. Despite the scare, her parents opted against having her transported by EMS to the emergency room for further treatment.
The incident marks Hawaii’s first recorded shark encounter of 2024, as noted on the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ shark incident website. It follows a year that saw a total of eight shark-related incidents, including a fatal shark attack on a surfer in Maui last December.