UPDATE: Video Of Surfboard Chomp

Shark Takes Chunk Out Of Surfer’s Board!

Jim Rawlinson, 68, was catching waves at the point in Hanalei Bay, Kauai Monday at about 4 p.m. when his surfboard was attacked by a large tiger shark.

Rawlinson slid back off the board and onto the back of the shark.

After measuring a bite mark on the tail of Rawlinson’s surfboard the tiger shark was estimated to be 14 feet long.

Rawlinson’s board was attacked about five miles from where Bethany Hamilton lost her arm while surfing a break called Tunnels in October of 2003.

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Thanks Derek!

Search For Missing Surfer Called Off

The search by air, sea and land for the missing surfer has been called off as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday after firefighters could not spot any sign of him.

Meanwhile, the shark-warning signs at Laniakea Beach, Papailoa Beach and Chuns Reef were removed at 11:30 a.m. yesterday after Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services personnel did not spot any sharks in the area.

Firefighters had resumed the search Thursday morning after a resident found a tattered pair of black shorts on Papailoa Beach and called police, who identified the shorts as belonging to the missing surfer. The missing surfer was described as an Asian male in his mid-thirties and was reported to be wearing black shorts.

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Sharks Spotted Near Missing Swimmer’s Body

Three large tiger sharks forced a search team to halt its efforts yesterday to locate and recover the body of a missing swimmer from Northern California who had disappeared from Laniākea Beach in Hawaii on Tuesday evening.

A helicopter spotted the sharks at about 7:30 a.m. near a body that was floating roughly a half mile off Pāpa’iloa Beach.

Lifeguards issued a shark warning and closed all beaches within one mile of the area.

Following ocean safety protocol, the fire department would not allow its rescue divers in the water for a 24-hour period. But the air search continued.

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai’i is helping the swimmer’s wife of six years and his family. Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai’i officials described the swimmer as a 35-year-old man from Beijing who was living in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Other family members will arrive from Beijing on Saturday, VASH officials said.

Helicopter pilots described the animals around the swimmer as 12- to 15-foot-long tiger sharks.

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Beaches Closed (and Reopened) After Shark Sighting in Hawaii

Waters off Ho’okipa Beach Park were closed for two hours yesterday after a shark sighting on the north shore of Maui.

The shark was estimated to be a 12-foot tiger shark, and it was spotted at 11:15 a.m. about 150 yards from the surf break.

Ho’okipa, a popular surfing spot, was closed from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for one mile both north and south of the surfing reef. The beach park remained open.

Warning signs were posted in the area, and no injuries were reported.

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10 Foot Shark Spotted in Hawaii!

A 10-foot shark was spotted at Maili Beach on the west side of Oahu Thursday around 1:30 p.m. by an on-duty police officer.

Bryan Cheplic, public information officer of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, said lifeguards were informed and they cleared the water and posted warning signs.

Cheplic said a lifeguard patrolling the area did not spot the shark but it is being considered a confirmed sighting. Signs will remain up and lifeguards will reassess the area Friday morning.

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Monk Seal Attacks Swimmer Off Kauai!

Authorities say a monk seal attacked a swimmer off Kauai Monday afternoon. The 28-year-old woman from Washington state was snorkeling at Mahaulepu Beach when she drifted into an area where several monk seals were swimming.

A full-grown female seal who was with her pup apparently felt threatened by the snorkeler and attacked. The woman was bitten on her face, head, hand and elbow. She made it back to shore and was later taken to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

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Big Shark Spotted in Hawaii

Signs were posted on Thursday afternoon at Maili Beach Park on Oahu’s Leeward Coast warning beachgoers to stay out if the water after a 10-foot shark. A diver had spotted the shark about 500 yards off shore and swam into the beach to report it to lifeguards. Lifeguards confirmed the shark’s presence and said it was exhibiting signs of aggressive behavior.

Lifeguards reassessed the area this morning and determined there was no need to post the signs again.

Happy swimming!

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More Shark Sightings Delay Hawaii Beach’s Reopening (For A Little While)

An aerial sighting of a 14-foot tiger shark and a 5-foot shark of an unidentified species delayed Tuesday’s reopening of a portion of South Maui coastline after a shark bit a 54-year-old surfer early Monday morning off Kalama Park.

Around 6 a.m. Monday, Kihei resident Scott Henrich had been sitting upright on his board, waiting to catch a wave at the Kalama Bowls surf spot when he was bitten on the right leg by a shark.

State and county officials planned to reopen the beach areas Tuesday morning after checking the coastal waters by air. But the helicopter reconnaissance around 7 a.m. spotted the tiger shark north of the attack site and the other shark was seen at the location where Henrich had been bitten.

Officials kept the coastal areas closed until noon when a second helicopter flyover found no sharks. The beaches have since been reopened.

photo: AMANDA COWAN

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100 Stitches Later…

Honoluluadvertiser.com just posted some more details and pics of the damage done to the poor guy’s leg…

Photos by CHRISTIE WILSON | The Honolulu Advertiser