The victim is in critical condition after a shark knocked him off his paddleboard 150 yards off the beach. Image: Reuters
A 25-year-old man was rushed to the hospital after a shark knocked him off his paddleboard and attacked him on Saturday.
According to reports, the man was stand-up paddling on Saturday morning with his father off Big Island’s Kona Coast, near the Four Season Hualalai Resort. At 9:30 am, a shark hit his board, knocking him off. Once he was in the water, it attacked him. Officials had spotted sharks earlier, and signs were posted warning beachgoers prior to the attack. Afterwards, the beach was temporarily closed, but was reopened on Sunday afternoon. According to KHON-TV, the victim is a resident of the community at Kukio Golf and Beach Club.
After the attack, a safety team from Kukio Golf Club launched a rescue boat. “They had heard a scream from the ocean and they took a four-man canoe out to find a male individual who had been bumped off his paddleboard about 100 to 150 yards offshore,” Fire Capt. Michael Grace told Honolulu Fox affiliate KHON-TV.
Man critically injured in shark attack on Hawaii Island https://t.co/eXRGPks3dL pic.twitter.com/m2XeYcz6Qi
— khon2 News (@KHONnews) April 1, 2018
With the help of bystanders, the team tended to “severe injuries” on his leg and arm. When paramedics arrived, the victim was flown to North Hawaii Community Hospital for emergency surgery, where he is listed in critical condition. Although not confirmed, at least one news outlet reported that it was necessary to amputate a limb.
According to the State of Hawaii’s Incident List, this is the first attack on Big Island since late 2015, when a swimmer was bitten on the foot.
