Hawaiian surfer speaks on survival after losing foot in 8-foot tiger shark attack: ‘God wanted me to fight’
Mike Morita, 58, lost right foot in shark attack while surfing near Kewalo Basin in Hawaii
A 58-year-old surfer has recounted how his faith helped him survive when an 8-foot tiger shark latched onto his leg while he was surfing in Hawaii Sunday.
Mike Morita, a veteran surfer, lost his right foot when the shark attacked him shortly before 7 a.m. near Kewalo Basin, Morita’s family said.
Morita spoke with NBC’s "Today" from his hospital bed Wednesday, telling the outlet he initially thought the shark was a seal. But once he felt the pressure of the jaws on his leg, he realized it was a tiger shark.
"I started to pray to God, and I said, 'God, let this shark let go of my leg,'" he told the outlet. "I was going back and forth, back and forth with it, and it didn’t let go. So, I guess God wanted me to fight."
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Morita recalled how he fought the shark with his fists, but his punches were ineffective. He explained how he then wrapped his other leg around the shark’s body and stuck his hand into the gills of the creature, which promptly released him.
Paramedics responded and administered life-saving treatment, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said in a statement.
It is believed a tiger shark, like the one pictured above, measuring about 8 feet attacked Morita as he surfed near Kewalo Basin in Hawaii Sunday.
It is believed a tiger shark, like the one pictured above, measuring about 8 feet attacked Morita as he surfed near Kewalo Basin in Hawaii Sunday. (iStock)
Friends surfing with Morita used their surfboard leashes to make a tourniquet on the injured surfer’s leg, KHON2 reported, an act that first responders said likely saved Morita’s life.
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Morita’s family thanked the other surfers who rushed to their father’s aid and the first responders and staff at Queens Hospital for helping save their father’s life.
"His spirits are high, and he has accepted his injury," Morita’s daughter and son wrote of their father on a GoFundMe page. "He is embracing the challenges that he will face ahead and with God, his family, and his friends by his side he will remain positive and get through this."
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Morita credited his faith for helping him stay cool under pressure and find a way to survive the attack.
"I have God in my life, and I have a lot of faith and trust and at no point was I scared," Morita told the outlet. "At no point was I thinking that I was going to die."
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04/09/2023 Mike Morita Honolulu Hawaii
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04/09/2023 Mike Morita Honolulu Hawaii
Surfer in Serious Condition After Surviving Shark Attack Off Honolulu
An unidentified 58-year-old man is in serious condition after being bitten in the leg by a shark Sunday morning off Honolulu, authorities said.
A surfer is in serious condition after being bitten in the leg by a shark Sunday morning off Honolulu, authorities said.
The surfer, only identified as a 58-year-old man, was attacked shortly before 7 a.m. near Kewalo Basin, according CBS News.
Paramedics responded and "administered life-saving treatment to a patient who was surfing and suffered shark bite to right leg," Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said in a statement to Hawaii News Now.
Other surfers helped create a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and the man was transported to a hospital, Hawaii News Now reported.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources believes the man was likely attacked by an 8-foot tiger shark after receiving earlier reports of a shark in the area that was acting aggressively, Hawaii News Now reported.
A witnesses told Hawaii News Now the incident is a “scary” reminder of what could happen out in the waters.
“It’s pretty scary but I mean, it's part of the ocean,” Honolulu resident Christie Ocolasurdo told Hawaii News Now. “I mean sharks, we’re going into their home, although we don’t really want that to happen... It’s always a possibility but this is really sad that it happened to that man.”
The area will continued to be monitored by officials.
"Honolulu Ocean Safety will continue to patrol the waters off of Kewalo Basin and Ala Moana after this morning's shark bite. Lifeguards posted signs in the area," EMS spokesperson Shayne Enright said in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
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An unidentified 58-year-old man is in serious condition after being bitten in the leg by a shark Sunday morning off Honolulu, authorities said.
A surfer is in serious condition after being bitten in the leg by a shark Sunday morning off Honolulu, authorities said.
The surfer, only identified as a 58-year-old man, was attacked shortly before 7 a.m. near Kewalo Basin, according CBS News.
Paramedics responded and "administered life-saving treatment to a patient who was surfing and suffered shark bite to right leg," Honolulu Emergency Medical Services said in a statement to Hawaii News Now.
Other surfers helped create a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and the man was transported to a hospital, Hawaii News Now reported.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources believes the man was likely attacked by an 8-foot tiger shark after receiving earlier reports of a shark in the area that was acting aggressively, Hawaii News Now reported.
A witnesses told Hawaii News Now the incident is a “scary” reminder of what could happen out in the waters.
“It’s pretty scary but I mean, it's part of the ocean,” Honolulu resident Christie Ocolasurdo told Hawaii News Now. “I mean sharks, we’re going into their home, although we don’t really want that to happen... It’s always a possibility but this is really sad that it happened to that man.”
The area will continued to be monitored by officials.
"Honolulu Ocean Safety will continue to patrol the waters off of Kewalo Basin and Ala Moana after this morning's shark bite. Lifeguards posted signs in the area," EMS spokesperson Shayne Enright said in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
https://u.to/KKdKHw
We have another tool we are building at https://sharkattacks.net