A Kapaau man is left in serious condition after being bitten on the leg yesterday afternoon by a large tiger shark while spearfishing off the north shore of the Big Island of Hawaii.
According to Dan Dennison of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, The Kapaau man, who has been identified as 27-year-old John Braxton, was spearfishing about 60 yards off Upolu Point in North Kohala when a 13-foot tiger shark bit him on his leg. John was able to swim to shore, where he alerted his fishing partner, who assisted John and called 911.
HFD Battalion Chief Joseph Farias said that firefighters reached the victim near the 21-mile marker on Akoni Pule Highway. The man was in the back of a truck, en route to meet arriving firefighters.
Immediately following the attack, John decided to take a video on his phone, then posted it to Instagram (viewer discretion advised). Although, we can’t help but commend his tough-as-nails attitude and his ability to stay composed after nearly losing his leg. The Inertia is wishing John a speedy recovery.