Shark Attack in Haleiwa
On Wednesday around 3 pm there was a shark attack in Haleiwa, Hawaii. The 30-year-old surfer was in the water with his wife when he got attacked by a shark. He sustained a bite to his left thigh.
The young surfer was from Spain and on a rented surfboard from North Shore Ohana School of Surfing. One of the surf instructors, Zack Murphy, was able to get to the man and bring him to the shore. Murphy said, “Took my leash off, tourniquet his leg, put pressure on top of his cut.” He also stated that the man wanted to walk after the incident, which is a “best worst-case scenario.” He waited with the man until the EMS arrived and took the man to the hospital to be treated for his injury.
Sharktober in Hawaii
Bryan Suratt has been a surf instructor for years and was surprised by the incident. He said he sees sharks a lot but the first time it was so close. Another surf instructor, Aina Kane, said “We’ve been doing lessons out here forever, and this is the first time anyone’s got bit, so it’s pretty shocking, actually.”
Some people refer to October as Shaktober because this is when you’ll see a rise in shark activity. According to Waikiki Aquarium Director Andrew Rossiter, during October and November this is when larger female sharks migrate from Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
According to the eyewitnesses and Murphy, the shark attack in Haleiwa was probably caused by a juvenile tiger shark. They’ve seen a tiger shark in the area for the past few days. He also said that the jaws on the surfboard were about a foot wide.
This shark attack in Haleiwa comes just a week and a half after the 50-year-old surfer Kevin Kanehe was attacked in Hanalei Bay on Kauai.
