Shark Rips “Good Chunk” From Man’s Torso in Horror Attack off Hawaii Coast
Hawaii #Hawaii
A shark has attacked a man swimming off the coast of Hawaii, ripping a “good chunk” from his torso.
The 68-year-old from Waikoloa was swimming off Anaehoomalu Bay at 8. a.m on Tuesday when a shark bit him on the lower left torso, the Hawaii police department said in a statement.
The man, who had been about 400 yards offshore when the attack occurred, attempted to fight off the shark by using a diving knife. The shark eventually let go and the swimmer was helped to shore and rushed to hospital.
Eyewitness Anthony Singh told Fox19 that the shark had taken “a good chunk” out of the man’s torso.
“It was hectic. It was brutal,” the witness told the news outlet.
Police have not confirmed what species of shark was involved, but Fox19 reports it was a 12-foot tiger shark. The waters off Hawaii are home to a variety of shark species including tiger sharks, white tip reef sharks and occasionally great whites.
The attack comes just five days after a woman went missing while snorkeling off Keawakapu Point on the Hawaiian island of Maui. It is thought she may have been killed by a shark.
The woman’s husband told the authorities that he and his wife fought off a shark, but that only he returned safely to shore, local news outlets reported. While his wife did not return, a snorkel and bathing suit were found washed up nearby.
While the species of shark responsible has is yet to be confirmed, eyewitnesses say that it was also a tiger shark. Police are still seeking more information on the incident.
The tiger shark is one of the “Big Three” shark species responsible for most shark attacks on humans, along with the bull shark and the great white.
These sharks have a reputation for being more aggressive than other species. Nevertheless, tiger sharks do not actively hunt humans. Most attacks occur when a shark has mistaken a person’s movements for those of its prey. After biting a human, many sharks let go once they realize that the victim is not their usual prey.
Once the swimmer involved in Tuesday’s attack was safely ashore he was transported to Queens North Hawaii Community Hospital by the local fire department.
He is now in a stable condition and his injuries are not life-threatening, police said in a statement.
In another shark attack in September, a woman swimming off Maui had her left arm and part of her right hand bitten off by a shark.
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