On Saturday, a 25-year-old man who was paddle boarding on the Big Island’s popular Kona Coast, near the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort, was knocked off of his board by a shark and then gruesomely attacked, according to a report.
The man, who was enjoying some morning stand-up paddle boarding with his father, suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to North Hawaii Community Hospital, after he was rescued by a safety team of four from the Kukio Golf and Beach Club.
“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.
The victim underwent surgery for injuries to his right hand and leg. There were reports that he lost a limb, from WTHR-TV and NTD-TV, according to the Huffington Post.
Sharks had been reported in the area and warning signs had been posted prior to the attack.
It’s the first shark attack on the Big Island since 2015, according to state statistics, the Huffington Post reported.
There have been 449 shark attacks in the U.S. from 2007 to 2016. Shark attacks took place in Florida, South Carolina and off the California coast, HuffPost said.
