Man Fights Off 12-Foot Shark with Knife During Second Attack in Less Than a Week in Hawaii

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A second shark attack has been reported in Hawaii in less than a week, authorities there announced.

On Tuesday morning, a 68-year-old man was attacked at Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa, according to a Hawaii Police Department statement. Waikoloa is located on Hawaii's Big Island.

The attack happened around 8 a.m. when the shark bit the man on the lower left torso while he was about 400 yards from shore, police said.

"The swimmer attempted to fend off the shark with a diving knife and the shark released the swimmer," according to the statement.

"The swimmer was assisted to shore and transported to Queens North Hawaii Community Hospital by Hawai'i Fire Department personnel for treatment," it continued. "The Waikoloa man is in stable condition and will be transported to Oahu for treatment of non-life threatening injuries."

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Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources said the unnamed man might have been attacked by a 12-foot tiger shark.

As the department noted, Tuesday's incident is the second shark attack in the state in just five days.

On Thursday, a 60-year-old woman from Washington state "disappeared after her husband and witnesses reported she was attacked by a shark," the department said in a statement, adding that the incident occurred off the shores of the island Maui.

"An extensive search of the area around Keawakapu Point in South Maui failed to find the woman," they continued.

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On Twitter, the department posted a photograph of a sign at Anaehoomalu Bay warning beachgoers of a shark sighting in the area.

"Shark warning signs are up at Hawai'i Island's ʻAnaehoʻomalu Bay, this morning, following an apparent encounter between a man in his mid-60's and what has been reported as a 12-foot tiger shark," the tweet said.

"Additional warning signs have been put up at various resort properties in the area, as well as by ocean sports operators," the department added in the statement on their website.

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In 2021 the United States led all countries with 47 confirmed cases of unprovoked shark bites, or 64 percent of the global total, according to the University of Florida. The number of U.S. shark bites was up 42 percent from 2020, which saw 33 incidents occur.

The university reported that Florida led the U.S. in shark bites last year, with 28 of the 47 confirmed cases (60 percent) from 2021.