A shark bit the leg of a man swimming at a West Hawaii beach Tuesday afternoon but released him and swam away, allowing the man to get back to shore.
“This is just a theory, but I would say this is a classic example of mistaken identity because it was a one-bite type of situation,” said shark expert John Naughton, adding that the shark may have taken just a “test bite.”
“It’s not uncommon for them to release a human,” Naughton said.
The swimmer, a 28-year-old Kailua-Kona man, had gashes above and below the knee of his right leg but remained conscious and responsive, said Hawaii County fire official Sean Sommers.
The shark attack was the fifth reported off West Hawaii since 2001, and the third in which a person was bitten (surfboards were bitten in the other incidents).
The man was swimming about 100 feet off Mahaiula Beach at Kekaha Kai State Park, also known as Kona Coast state park, just before 1 p.m. Tuesday when he spotted a shark, police and state Department of Land and Natural Resources officials said.
As he swam to shore, the shark bit his right thigh and right calf, then let him go, police said.
|
PAST ATTACKS OFF HAWAII ISLAND
Shark attacks are rare on the west coast of Hawaii island. Four previous attacks have occurred since 2001:
>> Jan. 16: Paul Santos was surfing at Kiholo Bay when a shark bit his right arm, nearly severing his hand, and right leg. Surgeons at Kaiser Moana lua Medical Center reattached his hand.
>> May 25, 2011: Theresa Fernandez was surfing at Lyman Beach at about 1:15 p.m. when a 10-foot tiger shark bit the tail of her board while she was 10 to 20 yards from shore. She was not injured.
>> May 22, 2011: A woman was stand-up paddling at Lyman Beach with her 3-year-old grandson at about 11:15 a.m. when a 10-foot tiger shark knocked them both off the board while they were about 20 yards from shore. The shark took a bite out of the side of the paddleboard but didn’t touch them.
>> May 10, 2003: Koa Paulo was swimming between Magic Sands Beach and Kaha luu Beach when he was attacked at about 12:45 p.m. by a gray-colored shark estimated at 6 feet long. Paulo suffered injuries on his lower right calf, ankle and foot. Sources: Star-Advertiser and hawaii sharks.org
|
When he reached the shore, people on the beach, including a volunteer firefighter, went to help him and controlled the bleeding, the Fire Department said.
A county helicopter flew him to the Kona Community Hospital in serious condition, police and emergency services officials said.
Alan Eriksson, 27, said he was swimming in the bay with his brother-in-law and two other people.
He had his back turned but the others saw the attack.
They “saw the shark jump out of the water, and then took the guy by his right leg and pull the guy underwater for a couple of seconds,” Eriksson said his brother-in-law told him.
When he turned around he saw the cloud and trail of blood, and the shadow of the shark, roughly 10 to 12 feet, Eriksson said. He said the shark circled after the attack, which occurred in a cove 15 feet off the rocks. The victim swam all the way to shore, with his wife right behind, supporting him.
“We grabbed him and pulled him up on shore,” Eriksson said. “We tied towels around his leg,” and a retired emergency medical technician put pressure on his leg. Eriksson said the lacerations were deep.
Beachgoers and a fire helicopter crew spotted a shark 10 to 14 feet long in the area after the attack, fire officials said.
The state closed the Mahaiula Bay and Kua Bay sections of the park and posted warning signs. The park is 2.6 miles north of Kona Airport.
The state said the bays will remain closed until at least noon today. Officials will make a flyover to check the near-shore area for sharks.
Naughton said the timing of Tuesday’s midday attack was unusual. The 5 p.m. attack in January was more typical since sharks usually feed in the evening, or might take test bites in white or cloudy water.
