Woman injured in possible shark attack off Hawaii

A female snorkeler suffered "what appears to be an apparent shark bite" this morning while swimming off of Lahilahi Beach, about one mile south of Makaha Beach, said Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city's emergency services department. The woman — described as being in her mid-40s — was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition with a wound to her forearm as police and lifeguards kept an eye on a shark that was swimming about 50 yards off shore. A lifeguard on a Yamaha Waverunner and officers in the Honolulu Police Department's helicopter spotted what appeared to "be a very large shark approximately 16 feet in length" 10 minutes after the woman was injured, Cheplic said. They tracked the shark for another five to 10 minutes before it swam out to deeper water, Cheplic said. "Whether this was the creature that... [read full story]