Surfer attacked by shark near Hawaii’s Maui island, loses part of leg

A shark attacked a 61-year-old man who was surfing off the coast of Hawaii’s Maui island on Friday, severing a part of his leg, according to friends and local officials. He remains in critical but stable condition.

The incident happened just after 7 a.m. on Friday when emergency services were called for an injured male who was bitten by a shark while surfing at Waiehu Beach Park at a surf spot known as “Sand Piles.”

“First responders confirmed the victim’s leg was completely severed just below the knee,” country officials said in a statement. Police officers applied two tourniquets to control the bleeding before paramedics arrived.

Maui Fire and Public Safety Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said the victim, who was later identified as Kenji, was alert while being treated onshore. He was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center in critical condition, where he was said to be stable.

“He is currently recovering well in the ICU, but we all want to support Kenji as he continues to heal,” friends wrote on GoFundMe. “In true Kenji style, immediately out of surgery, he sagely said, ‘I still love the ocean!’, and we want to support him in getting back to what he loves.”

The fundraiser on GoFundMe had raised nearly $30,000 by Friday night.

The gate to Waiehu Beach Park was closed after Friday’s shark attack and all beachgoers were advised to stay out of the water from Paukūkalo to Waihe‘e until further notice. The warning will stay in effect until noon on Saturday but could be extended if necessary.

In June, 49-year-old lifeguard Tamayo Perry was killed by a shark while surfing during his lunch break off Hawaii’s Oahu island. It was the first fatal shark attack since December 2023, when a 39-year-old surfer was killed on the north side of Maui island.

While sharks are a common fear, they only kill about six people per year on average, according to figures from the International Shark Attack File (ISAF). Fourteen people were killed in shark attacks last year, which was up from nine in 2022.