corporatetechentertainmentresearchmiscwellnessathletics

Surfer in Maui shark attack loses part of his leg


Surfer in Maui shark attack loses part of his leg

Maui police said in a press release that the man was in critical condition after being transported to the hospital.

A surfer lost part of his leg after being bitten by a shark in Hawaii, authorities say.

At about 7 a.m. on Nov. 1, a 61-year-old man was surfing at Waiehu Beach Park when he was attacked by a shark, County of Maui Police and Fire officials said in a press release.

Authorities said the shark bit the man's leg. The man then swam to shore, where he was treated and subsequently taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

First responders said the surfer's leg was severed below the knee after he was bitten.

Police applied two combat application tourniquets in order to control the bleeding, officials said, adding that the man was alert while he was being treated.

"I would like to commend the patient for his strength and wherewithal getting himself to shore," Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety (MFD) Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said, according to NBC affiliate KHNL of Honolulu. "That's extraordinary."

Waiehu Beach Park was then closed and beachgoers were advised to keep out of the water from Paukūkalo to Waihe'e.

The incident comes just four months after the legendary surfer and lifeguard, Tamayo Perry, was killed in a shark attack in Hawaii in June.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement that Perry was attacked by a shark on the north shore of Oahu, where he served as an eight-year veteran of its Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services.

Emergency services responded to a call just before 1 p.m. on June 23 for a surfer who was "fatally injured" after they were attacked by a shark. Dispatch was told by a caller that Perry's body appeared to have been bitten multiple times. Perry's body was brought to shore by lifeguards, and he was pronounced dead by authorities.

There have been other reported shark attacks in the United States this year, including a surfer in Florida who was bit by a shark on the same beach where he was bitten a decade prior.

Previous articleNext article

POPULAR CATEGORY

corporate

9836

tech

11113

entertainment

12006

research

5444

misc

12721

wellness

9666

athletics

12720