A surfer in Hawaii has died after being injured in a shark encounter off Maui's northern shore, according to the Maui Police Department. Authorities stopped short of calling the event an attack and didn't describe the man's injuries.
Ocean Safety Officers grabbed and transported the man by jet ski to shore, where responders performed life-saving measures until medical personnel arrived and took the victim to a hospital for further treatment, police said in a news release.
The surfer was identified as Jason Carter, 39, of Haiku, a small community on Maui's north side.
"The Maui Police Department extends our deepest condolences to Mr. Carter’s family and friends," officials said in a statement.
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An eyewitness told NBC News that the enormous shark was as big as a pickup truck and pulled the surfer into the water.
"The shark just started biting him and pulling him down," Ikaia Kapisi told NBC. "The dorsal fin was almost as big as his [Carter's] body, the height of it was almost as high as his head sitting on the board. It was hard to hear him screaming."
The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is scheduled, according to the police department.
U.S. & World
The man was injured on Paia Bay, near Haiku, and shark warning signs were placed on beaches one mile on either side of the bay, according to Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources.
NBC News contributed to this report.
