Where was Jason Carter from? 39-year-old surfer dies in horrific shark encounter in Hawaii

Jason Carter, a surfer from Hawaii, passed away over the weekend from injuries he sustained in a "shark encounter." He was brought back to shore by rescuers on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at a beach area off the Hana Highway in Paia on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

According to NPR, Maui authorities said in a statement:

"The Maui Police Department extends our deepest condolences to Mr. Carter's family and friends."

While an autopsy has been scheduled, officials added that the preliminary investigation shows no sign of foul play, as per The Guardian. Baldwin Beach Park and Baby Beach, near the scene of Carter’s alleged shark encounter, were shut off with warning signs after the incident.

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Warning signs posted in the area after Jason Carter dies in shark attack in Hawaii

Jason Carter was surfing on the morning of December 30 in the beach area of 93 Hana Highway in Paia. He was reported to be a surfer from Haiku.

At around 11:19 am local time, police responded to a distress call after the lifeguards transported Jason Carter to shore via jet ski. The first responders performed life-saving measures onshore before medical personnel transported Carter to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment, as per The New York Post.

The Maui Police Department stated that Jason Carter later succumbed to his injuries. The time of death has not been specified as of yet.

According to The Guardian, an investigation into the "shark encounter" which has been categorized as a “miscellaneous type incident”, remains ongoing.

Maui County initially withheld the identity of the victim but has since disclosed that it was Jason Carter. Not much is known about the 39-year-old surfer. Local authorities have said that his family and friends were notified of the incident.

As per NPR, the officials closed Baldwin Beach Park and Baby Beach on Saturday, near the scene of Carter’s shark encounter, following the incident, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources stated on December 30 that shark warning signs such as "shark sighted" had been posted. Under the standard procedure, the signs are up one mile in either direction from the incident site.

Shark attacks often create headlines but are still rare in Hawaii. As per The Guardian, there were about 57 shark bites across the world in 2022. The US state of Florida took the first slot as the most common site of such incidents.

According to the University of Florida’s international shark attack file, 16 shark bites happened in Florida, while most other shark attacks were in the rest of the US and Australia.