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On Oahu’s North Shore, a surfer suffered what appears to be a shark bite to the leg. Luckily, local surf instructors came to the man’s aid and were able to keep him stable until he could be successfully transported to an emergency room. As a result, authorities are warning swimmers in the area to stay out of the ocean for the time being.
As Hawaii News Now reports, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, off Pua’ena Point at Haleiwa Beach Park, a 30-year-old surfer from Spain suffered a bite to the left thigh. After the injury occurred, surf instructor Zack Murphy helped bring the man and his wife in, then used his own surf leash as a tourniquet on the wound. From there, Ocean Safety took over and administered medical treatment until the surfer could be handed off to paramedics, who transported him to an ER.
The species and size of the shark are currently unknown, but Murphy and fellow surf instructor Bryan Suratt told HNN that they believed the bite was from a juvenile tiger shark. “It’s rare. It’s very rare,” said Suratt. “We do see them, don’t get me wrong. Maybe we’ve seen the same one three or four days now, in the lineup.”
“We’re recommending people stay out of the water, at least in this area, for the immediate future,” said Ocean Safety Lt. John Hoogsteden.
This is the latest in a recent spate of encounters, which some are ascribing to the time of year. “Tiger sharks are believed to be more abundant during this month, because October, November, is when the large females migrate down from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands,” Waikiki Aquarium Director Andrew Rossiter told WNN.
