LIHUE >> A 25-year-old Kauai surfer is celebrating his escape from a shark.

Jeff Horton told The Garden Island that he had surfed for three hours Sunday morning at near Kilauea when he had his wildlife encounter. He was waiting to catch a wave when he saw a dark shape approaching.

The shark clamped down on his surfboard. Horton was knocked off and onto the shark.

The former boxer held a fin with one hand and began punching with the other.

He says he punched the shark about eight times and finally jammed a knuckle into its eye.

The shark spit out the board and flung Horton into the air. Horton climbed back on his board and paddled in.

He was not injured but his board has a semi-circle bite mark.