The Last 10 Fatal Shark Attacks in the United States
New Wave Swim BuoyA swim beside a Caribbean beach. A favorite surf break in Hawaii. A Christmas Eve ride in California. The people in these stories were enjoying the ocean when an ordinary outing turned tragic.
These are the ten most recent fatal shark attacks in U.S. waters, including Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, from January 2026 back to May 2020.
1. January 8, 2026 — Dorsch Beach, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Arlene Lillis was swimming close to shore at Dorsch Beach when a shark attacked. The 56-year-old Minnesota woman was a frequent visitor to St. Croix, where the beach sits just south of Frederiksted.
Emergency crews brought her ashore and took her to the hospital, but she died from her injuries. The late-afternoon attack shook an island where serious shark encounters are unusual.
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🦈 Caribbean Reef Shark — regional example
Caribbean Reef Shark
Shark length: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
A streamlined shark often seen around Caribbean coral reefs.
2. December 21, 2025 — Lovers Point, Pacific Grove, California
Erica Fox set out for a swim in Monterey Bay with her husband and fellow Kelp Krawlers. The 55-year-old triathlete had helped start the club and loved sharing open-water swimming with others.
She disappeared near Lovers Point. Searchers recovered her body near Davenport six days later, and the coroner confirmed that she had died in a shark attack. Her swimming community gathered to remember her.
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🦈 White Shark — regional example
White Shark
Shark length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
Often found in cooler coastal waters, with a gray back and white belly.
3. June 23, 2024 — Mālaekahana, Oʻahu, Hawaii
Tamayo Perry knew the North Shore well. The 49-year-old Honolulu lifeguard and professional surfer was surfing near Goat Island when a shark fatally injured him.
Lifeguards brought him to shore by Jet Ski, where he was pronounced dead. Perry had joined Honolulu Ocean Safety in 2016. Friends and colleagues remembered a gifted waterman with a warm, welcoming personality.
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🦈 Tiger Shark — regional example
Tiger Shark
Shark length: 9 ft 10 in (3.0 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
A tropical shark recognizable by dark stripes along its sides.
4. December 30, 2023 — Pāʻia Bay, Maui, Hawaii
Jason Carter was surfing at Pāʻia Bay when a shark bit him late in the morning. The 39-year-old Haiku resident was taken to the hospital, where he died that afternoon.
High surf had stirred up the water. Officials closed nearby beach parks and posted shark-warning signs along the coast. What began as a day in the waves ended in grief for Maui's surfing community.
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🦈 Tiger Shark — regional example
Tiger Shark
Shark length: 9 ft 10 in (3.0 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
A tropical shark recognizable by dark stripes along its sides.
5. October 1, 2023 — Wildcat Beach, Point Reyes, California
Felix Louis N’jai was swimming with two friends off Wildcat Beach, a remote stretch of the Point Reyes coast. His friends reported a shark attack before the 52-year-old disappeared beneath the water.
Rescue teams searched the ocean and shoreline for days. N’jai was never recovered. Friends remembered the San Francisco resident for his love of sailing, kiteboarding, and life on the water.
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🦈 White Shark — regional example
White Shark
Shark length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
Often found in cooler coastal waters, with a gray back and white belly.
6. December 8, 2022 — Keawakapu Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Kristine Allen was snorkeling with her husband off Keawakapu Beach when she disappeared. The 60-year-old Washington visitor had been exploring the water along South Maui's coast.
Her husband encountered an aggressive shark, and a person on the beach called for help after seeing a shark feeding in the water. An extensive search failed to find Allen. Hawaii's conservation officers classified the incident as a fatal shark attack.
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🦈 Tiger Shark — regional example
Tiger Shark
Shark length: 9 ft 10 in (3.0 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
A tropical shark recognizable by dark stripes along its sides.
7. December 24, 2021 — Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, California
Tomas Butterfield went bodyboarding on Christmas Eve while visiting family in Morro Bay. The 42-year-old was in the water north of Morro Rock when a white shark attacked.
A nearby surfer noticed his unattended board, found him in the water, and brought him toward the beach. He had died before emergency crews could save him. A later examination identified the shark from a tooth fragment.
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🦈 White Shark
White Shark
Shark length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
Often found in cooler coastal waters, with a gray back and white belly.
8. December 8, 2020 — Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii
Robin Warren was on his surfboard at Honolua Bay just before 8 a.m. when a tiger shark attacked. The 56-year-old Maui resident suffered severe injuries and was taken to the hospital.
He died the following day. Researchers later confirmed the shark species using DNA left on his board. The attack also led organizers to move the remaining heats of the Maui Pro surfing competition to another location.
🦈 Tiger Shark
Tiger Shark
Shark length: 9 ft 10 in (3.0 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
A tropical shark recognizable by dark stripes along its sides.
9. July 27, 2020 — Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine
Julie Dimperio Holowach was swimming with her daughter near Bailey Island when a white shark attacked. The 63-year-old spent part of each year in this small Maine coastal community.
Two kayakers paddled out to help bring her ashore, but she could not be saved. A tooth fragment identified the shark. Her death was Maine's first recorded fatal shark attack and prompted swimming restrictions at several coastal parks.
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🦈 White Shark
White Shark
Shark length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
Often found in cooler coastal waters, with a gray back and white belly.
10. May 9, 2020 — Manresa State Beach, Santa Cruz County, California
Ben Kelly was surfing off Manresa State Beach when a shark bit him. The 26-year-old Santa Cruz surfer and surfboard maker had built a business around the sport he loved.
A lifeguard was alerted in the early afternoon, but Kelly died at the scene. Officials temporarily closed the surrounding water. His death brought an outpouring of memories from the local surfing community.
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🦈 White Shark — regional example
White Shark
Shark length: 14 ft 9 in (4.5 meters)
Human height: 5 ft 11 in (1.8 meters), standing.
Often found in cooler coastal waters, with a gray back and white belly.
Where the ten incidents happened
- Dorsch Beach, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Lovers Point, Pacific Grove, California
- Mālaekahana, Oʻahu, Hawaii
- Pāʻia Bay, Maui, Hawaii
- Wildcat Beach, Point Reyes, California
- Keawakapu Beach, Maui, Hawaii
- Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, California
- Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii
- Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine
- Manresa State Beach, Santa Cruz County, California
Quick guide: dates and places
| No. | Attack date | Location | Activity | Person who died |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 8, 2026 | Dorsch Beach, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands | Swimming | Arlene Lillis, 56 |
| 2 | December 21, 2025 | Lovers Point, Pacific Grove, California | Swimming | Erica Fox, 55 |
| 3 | June 23, 2024 | Mālaekahana, Oʻahu, Hawaii | Surfing | Tamayo Perry, 49 |
| 4 | December 30, 2023 | Pāʻia Bay, Maui, Hawaii | Surfing | Jason Carter, 39 |
| 5 | October 1, 2023 | Wildcat Beach, Point Reyes, California | Swimming | Felix Louis N’jai, 52 |
| 6 | December 8, 2022 | Keawakapu Beach, Maui, Hawaii | Snorkeling | Kristine Allen, 60 |
| 7 | December 24, 2021 | Morro Strand State Beach, Morro Bay, California | Bodyboarding | Tomas Butterfield, 42 |
| 8 | December 8, 2020 | Honolua Bay, Maui, Hawaii | Surfing | Robin Warren, 56 |
| 9 | July 27, 2020 | Bailey Island, Harpswell, Maine | Swimming | Julie Dimperio Holowach, 63 |
| 10 | May 9, 2020 | Manresa State Beach, Santa Cruz County, California | Surfing | Ben Kelly, 26 |
Before your next swim
Check beach warnings and follow the lifeguards’ advice. Swim with others, stay close to shore, and keep away from fishing areas and bait. Avoid swimming at dawn or dusk.
Explore our ten most recent fatal shark attacks worldwide and recent shark attacks on open-water swimmers.
