The tiger shark chased the pair as they clambered back to land some 200 yards away. Luckily no one was hurt. Gaston said afterwards: “At first I didn’t know that he’d been hit by the shark.
So I saw him fall in the water and I thought, ‘Man that’s dumb — there’s a shark right here.’”
The incident prompted state officials to close the water from Cove Park to Waipu‘ilani Park in Kīhei, posting warning notices about the shark to the public.
There are around 40 species of shark found in Hawaiian waters, from pygmy sharks to whale sharks.
He was only identified after his wife confirmed that it was his wedding ring found inside the shark’s stomach.
This recent attack in Maui comes after Sir David Attenborough expressed his shock at how swimmers in Florida are naive to the fact they are splashing among deadly sharks.
While filming the penultimate episode of BBC show Seven Worlds, One Planet, the 93-year-old highlighted how the sharks there turn ferocious when feasting begins.
He said: “Cold currents are sweeping along the coast of Florida and with them come grey mullet on their migration to their spawning grounds in the south.
“Millions of them and packed so tightly they stay in the water like an oil slick.
“Few people on the beach are even aware of them, but the mullets keep as close to the shore as possible, as in deeper waters there are predators.
He added: “Hunters from the open ocean have detected them, Tarpon, over two metres long, and weighing over 100kg.
“To get close to the mullet in the shallows, the tarpon turn on their sides, now the mullet can’t see their shining silver flanks until it’s too late.
Tiger sharks can live for 15 years or more and have been known to weigh up to 1,400 pounds.
The species are considered one of the most dangerous sharks in the world.