Hawaiian surfer left in serious condition from shark bite 

A surfer in Hawaii was hospitalized and is in serious condition after he had an encounter with a shark near Oahu, according to a spokesperson for Honolulu Emergency Services. 

The 58-year-old man, a regular surfer, was bitten by a shark while surfing in the Kewalo basin on Sunday morning at around 7 a.m., spokesperson Shayne Enright told CNN. The surfer lost his right foot during the attack.

One of the other surfers around the victim helped save his life, by tying a tourniquet around his right leg using surfboard leashes while they were still in the water and taking him to shore.  

Once on shore, forest responders transported the man, identified as Mike Morita, to a nearby hospital, where he remains in serious condition. 

According to eyewitness accounts, the shark was an eight-foot tiger shark. 

After the incident, lifeguards posted signs throughout the shore warning beachgoers and surfers of a shark in the area. They also set up jet-ski patrols to monitor for shark activity in the water, added Shayne. 

The incident marks the fourth shark attack in Hawaii this year, according to a list by the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Aquatic Resources. 

According to marine life experts, it is unusual for sharks to attack in the area. The last shark attack in Kewalos was in 2022. However, experts believe that the recent rainy weather could have caused the shark to attack.

Regular surfers at Kewalos said that they regularly see sharks but have never seen one attack a human before. 

“Yeah, all these years I’ve been surfing. I’ve never heard of shark attacks by Ala Moana side, they’re kind of rare,” said surfer Eric Kagawa. “Plus it’s super shallow out there.”