Maui Surfer Loses Leg In Shark Attack

On Friday morning, 61-year-old Maui surfer, who's been identified as a local named Kenji Nonoka, was surfing at Sandpiles, near Waiehu Beach Park on central Maui, when he was struck by a shark. Crying out for help and attempting to get himself back to shore, other surfers in the water were able to quickly get him to shore, where emergency responders were able to apply a tourniquet to try and control the bleeding.

“I heard this yell and I looked, and all of a sudden I just seen him splash, and I don’t know what was happening,” witness David Basques told Hawaii News Now. “He swam himself back maybe more than half the way and then I seen somebody jump in and they went bring him inside.”

Reportedly suffering a massive wound to his leg, the surfer was then transported to Maui Memorial Medical Center by medics, where he underwent further emergency medical treatment, ultimately losing part of his leg.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover medical expenses. The goal for the campaign is set at $100,000, and less than 24 hours after the incident, it had raised over $36,000.

"Kenji was attacked by a shark just below his knee. His good friends and regular morning crew helped him in, and he is currently recovering well in the ICU, but we all want to support Kenji as he continues to heal," reads the campaign description. "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."

This news comes on the heels of a shark incident in Florida in which a surfer was attacked for the second time at the same beach. Both emergencies are a start reminder to all surfers to be aware of their surroundings in the water, as well as to pursue some type of basic emergency medical training to be able to assist in situations like these. In both cases the surfers were provided life-saving treatment by their fellow surfers before emergency personnel could administer further assistance.