INJURED --19 July 2007 -- Bellows Beach, Oahu, Hawaii -- snorkeller attacked

Harvey Miller, 36, was snorkelling 150 metres from shore at Bellows Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, when he was attacked by an 8 foot Tiger shark. The incident, which occurred around 3.30pm on Thursday 19 July 2007, left a 30 centimetre gash in his left knee.

He was helped ashore and taken to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu where hospital authorities said he’d lost part of his calf and suffered some cut tendons.

Dr Patrick Murray was quoted as saying the shark damaged several nerves and the knee, leaving a 30 cm gash. He said it was lucky the shark didn’t damage the femoral artery, which would have been life threatening.

Miller told media he was snorkelling looking for turtles when it appeared that the fish looked “spooked”.

The shark “bit me and swung me around.”

“I punched it twice in the body just below dorsal fin,” he said.

The shark let go.

“I then started screaming and yelling ‘Shark!’”

Miller said he just remembers thinking he didn’t want to die this way and saying: “Oh God, not like this, no way.”

At a press briefing he thanked the man who helped him from the water saying he saved his life.

Hawaii state Shark Task Force spokesman Randy Honebrink said bite marks on two turtles found in the area and the wounds on Miller pointed to an 8-foot Tiger shark. He said when they reached 8-feet it was about this age that they switched their diets to include turtles.

Sources:
Honolulu Star Bulletin
The Chronicle Telegram
13abc