Hawaii Shark Attack Victim Recounts Experience: ‘This Is A Magnificent Animal’
A 58-year-old man from Kansas is recovering after he was attacked by a tiger shark this week in Hawaii, and he has spoken out to recount the experience, revealing what it felt like to be at the mercy of the oceanic predator.
Dr. Ken Grasing is a physician from Overland Park, Kansas, as CNN reports. On Wednesday, he was snorkeling off Hawaii’s Hapuna Beach State Park with his family when he experienced a fateful encounter with a large tiger shark, as the Inquisitr previously reported. Speaking from The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu on Friday, Grasing recounted the shark attack, which took place in just five feet of water, while he was surrounded by other people.
“This black cloud appeared and I wasn’t sure what it was… and the shape moved toward me quickly and it materialized into a 10- to 12-foot tiger shark,” he recalled.
Hawaii shark attack victim: “It didn’t like what it tasted.” http://t.co/2Z8dn4z7bq pic.twitter.com/2QS8AbcKWK
— Andreas Preuss (@AndreasCNN) March 21, 2015
The attack transpired quickly, Grasing said, as the shark latched onto his left hand. The doctor noted that there was no way he could have gotten out of the shark’s way, due to its sheer speed. The predator was moving so quickly, Grasing recalled, that he didn’t realize the shark would bite him until his left hand was “just mangled.” To defend himself, Grasing lashed out with his right hand to strike the shark, a tactic often advised by researchers.
“The shark then swam around me, stayed in the area, and I stood there just yelling. It was quite a dramatic moment. My two boys were with me in the water and I was very concerned that the shark would attack them.”
“@CNNWire: Tiger shark chomps on snorkeler on Hapuna Beach, #Hawaii http://t.co/pPuSoBpPKn pic.twitter.com/KaZGElmKAU” @zcallah96
— Jessie Brown (@JessiePooh82) March 20, 2015
Once ashore, Grasing was hospitalized for the injuries to his arm, in addition to lacerations on his left leg. Though he is expected to make a full recovery, as West Hawaii Today reports, the full power of the tiger shark wasn’t lost on him.
“This is a magnificent animal swimming with great speed and power. I was really at its mercy, and if it had mind to do anything more, that would have been the end of me.”
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources closed beaches until Friday, due to concerns about the tiger shark’s aggressive behavior and poor visibility in the area. The shark departed after the attack, though it later returned, and was observed by officials in a helicopter.
Though he is unsure if he will ever snorkel again following the attack in Hawaii, Grasing is nevertheless happy that the shark “didn’t like what it tasted.”
[Image via Pbase]
