On Sunday evening, 16-year-old Oahu native, Max Keliikipi paddled out at Makaha on the island’s west side like he’d done most days this summer. But a quick after-work surf session quickly turned into a harrowing encounter with an apex predator when Keliikipi was bumped off his board and fled toward shore.
According to reports, Keliikipi saw something strange in the water and initially thought it was a turtle. He put his feet up on the deck of his board instead of leaving them dangling when suddenly a shark took a pass at him.
“It bit a huge chunk off my board,” he told CNN. “If my feet were a little further up the board, it would have bit my toes off.”
Keliikipi made it back to shore safely, and originally thought it was a blacktip, but his friends told him it was probably a tiger shark. He guesses the animal was anywhere from seven to 10 feet.
Sharks have been spotted in recent months on Oahu’s west side, and officials reportedly posted signs about the danger of sharks at area beaches.
When asked if he’ll keep surfing or stay out of the water for a little while, Keliikipi was undeterred.
“I don’t want to go inside. That’s how the sharks win,” he said.
