At 9:15 a.m., Tuesday (April 23) Hawaii County Civil Defense announced a beach closure due to a shark attack in West Hawaii. The Fire Department reported a shark attack occurred off the coast near Anaehoomalu Bay (A Bay) around 8:30 a.m. this morning.  The beaches in the vicinity are closed until further notice. 

According to the fire department a 65-year-old woman was bitten on the right inner thigh area. The bite mark was about 12-inches in diameter. She was several hundred yards offshore when the attack happened and was brought to shore on a kayak by bystanders.

The victim was airlifted to North Hawaii Community Hospital via Chopper Two in stable condition. The helicopter later returned to survey the ocean area but did not see any sharks. The woman said she did not remember what led up to the attack.