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Hawaii officials have shared warnings after a woman was launched into the air when she was attacked by a shark while surfing.

Shark warning signs were raised from Ho'okipa to Baldwin Beach Park on Maui after a 45-year-old Haiku-based woman encountered a shark at about 1 p.m. on Monday, October 2. The Maui Fire Department Ocean Safety Division, Maui Police, and officers from the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) worked to place signs across the beach following the attack.

The World Animal Foundation said that, in 2022, there were a total of 108 shark attacks in the U.S., 57 of which were classified as unprovoked bites or attacks.

The WAF added: "To further clarify, there are numerous attack types listed in the International Shark Attack File reports, but only 32 were classed as provoked attacks. A further 19 incidents were unconfirmed in their origin."

However, the WAF said getting bitten by a shark was rare and that people are more likely to drown than be attacked by one. It added: "As per a study by the International Shark Attack File, you are more likely to die by drowning than be bitten by a shark. To further quantify those statistics, you are 3,820 times more likely to drown than die from a shark bite."

"The woman reported to authorities that while she was surfing a shark she described as a 10-12 foot long Galapagos shark bit her board and launched her into the air," read a Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Facebook post shared on October 2.

"She landed on the shark, which then bit through her board leash. She was able to get back onto her board and swim to shore without further incident.

"This happened in three to four feet of water, with limited clarity due to high surf. Lifeguards and DOCARE officers will survey the area in the morning."

The DLNR added: "Under established protocols, beaches one mile on either side of Tavares Bay where the incident occurred, are under warning until noon tomorrow.

"At that time if there are no signs of shark presence the signs will be removed, and people can go back into the water."

A video shared by the Hawaii DLNR showed officials putting up warning signs that read "Shark sighted."

The same clip showed conservation officers starting to patrol the beach and warn people in the area about a possible shark sighting.

In the video, an officer could be seen warning a man who was swimming in the ocean and telling him about the earlier attack.

An official then stated the warning signs would be up until nightfall and that people would continue to be warned about the shark attack.

Newsweek has contacted the Hawaii DLNR for comment via email.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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