Kenji Nonaka (pictured) lost part of his leg in a shark attack Friday morning. Photo: GoFundMe
A Maui surfer lost part of his leg in a shark attack Friday morning. The attack occurred near Waiehu Beach Park, at the surf break “Sandpiles.”
As Hawai’i News Now reports, witnesses said Kenji Nonaka, 61, was sitting on his board around 7:00 a.m when a shark swam up and bit his leg. Witness David Basques told HNN that Nonaka managed to swim about halfway back to shore, before an onlooker jumped in and helped him the rest of the way.
Once he was on shore, Maui Police Department officers applied a tourniquet, before emergency personnel arrived. First responders confirmed to HNN that Nonaka’s leg was severed below the knee.
Friends of Nonaka have started a GoFundMe to raise funds for his recovery. At the time of writing, $45,000 had been raised of a $100,000 goal. According to the description on the page, “He is currently recovering well in the ICU, but we all want to support Kenji as he continues to heal. 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.”
