'My first reaction was this can't be real. That's really a shark'
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Tom Kennedy said he started swimming for his life after a 10-foot tiger shark took a bite out of his left leg.
“I knew that I only had one way to possibly survive, and that was to get away and get to my board,” Kennedy said.
The 61-year-old Lake Oswego man was on vacation with his family in Maui. He said he joked with his family and friends about a shark attack before they went out for some snorkeling and paddle boarding in a cove on West Maui’s Kihei Beach.
“Not seriously. It wasn’t anything we were really concerned about,” he said.
The jokes turned into a serious reality on Friday, when a 10-foot tiger shark took a piece out of Kennedy’s left leg.
“I was cruising along at a pretty good clip when I felt this thing grab me on the left leg,” said Kennedy.
He said it didn’t hurt very much. He first thought one of his snorkeling partners was tugging at his leg.
Then he looked over his shoulder.
“I could see the shark’s left eye and his nose and face as he had a grip on me and then he let go,” he said. “My first reaction was ‘this can’t be real. That’s really a shark.’ And I could see his eye, and I could see his mouth and nose and I thought ‘I don’t believe it.’”
The shark pulled him under for a moment. When it let go, Kennedy swam to the surface and yelled to his friends to get out of the water. Then he swam as fast as he could back to his board.
“When I reached the board, I just crawled on, and then I was able to examine my wound.”
A canoe team watching turtles saw Kennedy and took him to shore.
A surgeon in Hawaii who specializes in shark attacks treated his injuries, but could not close the wounds because of potential infections, which Kennedy said is a common concern with shark bites.
Kennedy and his family will fly to Portland on Tuesday. He said he may go through more surgeries after he returns home.
He plans to go back to Maui, and says he’s not afraid to go back in the water.
“The odds of me being bitten twice are almost impossible to calculate.”
Holy Moly!!
Stay out of those sharks water, white people can't leave nature alone can you..
 @Rosalind Alexander That's silly...just like you.
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Everyone knows that sharks are attracted to bright, shiny objects...and how much more bright can anything be than the skin of an Oregonian in winter?
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Besides, the shark bit him, not the other way around.
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Now go play on the freeway or something.
@Mikey @Rosalind Alexander You are spot on about the skin color. We had some friends from PDX here last week and they glow.
@Rosalind Alexander Nice pulling of the race card. Someone had to do it in an article about a shark attack.
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I think the shark was probably a Nazi.
the shark was probably more scared than he was
Hope Mr Kennedy makes a fast and full recovery from his injuries... AND that he doesn't give up on doing things he enjoys just because "something bad might happen"... Â Bad things can happen to anyone at any time (eg: a tree can fall on your house while you're sitting on your couch watching TV)... certainly, driving, biking, even just walking,. all present risks. Â Â Sure; people need to take reasonable precautions and use common sense when they do things, but I can't think of anything worse than being so afraid of life that you're too scared to even leave the house...Â
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We all have a limited time here on earth... how we use that time is up to us. Â Stay as safe as you can, folks, but try to have some fun while you're at it..! Â Â "Nothing ventured, nothing gained..!" Â
Man, I am glad you are alright.
These random incidents make headlines, but the tens of MILLIONS of sharks killed each year for luxury foods only make occasional news. In other words, let's acknowledge who the real victims are.
And the millions of fish and seals killed each year by sharks is just as tragic. Those poor, poor victims. Would you like to mourn for them, too?
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@OSUx2 ...do any of you realize how many ants were mercilously executed last year alone? BILLIONS.....and don't even get me started on bacteria....
@Alec Sevins Seriously???Â
How do they know it was a tiger shark? Â They generally stick to tropical/subtropical areas in the water and hunt at night. Â Is this a sign of things to come or was this just a kid's guess.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark
 @Secrets AmongUs Tiger sharks are common in Hawaii and have likely been biting people ever since they showed up and started swimming around.  Bull sharks do the majority of the chomping over on the east coast, great whites in California, and tigers in Hawaii.  With reports presuming tiger sharks as the culprit dating to 1779, I'm inclined to believe this is just the way of things rather than things to come.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal,_unprovoked_shark_attacks_in_the_United_States
No offense, but I don't have much sympathy for people who say things like "I have no problems going back in the water..the chances of me being bitten twice are almost impossible to calculate."
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Really Tom? That's great if you wanna risk your own life for the sake of your own pleasure, but to create a situation that also endangers the lives of others (I.E. See Innocent Bystanders and Would-Be Rescuers) is really selfish. Same thing with inexperienced mountain climbers and other adrenaline heads that think they're only putting themselves at risk. Plus, they're not thinking about their spouses, siblings, kids, friends and family and others who would be impacted by their serious injury or even death. Â
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Great..glad you love surfing. You got lucky. Next time the shark might be a little bigger. Â Â
 @KillsGermsOnContact Like you're Mr Perfect or something?
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His going back in the water is not going t endanger anyone but himself. If there are others there, they're there because they choose to be, not because Tom is back in the water.
@Mikey @KillsGermsOnContact Wrong Mikey, if he gets in trouble again, whether or not it's shark related, and he can't rely on himself to get to shore safely, then someone has to rescue him, which puts them in extra danger that they did not sign up for. If Tom goes back in the water, and risks his life again, and he dies, then lots of others are impacted because of his death. It's not just about him. That is the selfish view of those who choose risk taking activities. They think it's just about them. It is..but only until something goes wrong. Â
@KillsGermsOnContact Just sit on the couch and watch TV then. You'll be safe from everything but heart disease.
A tree might fall on your house. Or an earthquake might destroy it. IN reality, you're not safe from everything, all the time. Sometimes, life isn't worth living without tempting fate to a certain extent.
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For instance, driving on I-5 is a pretty strong attempt on fate in itself.
There are ALWAYS sharks in the water! They are only after food & is the reason they let go after realizing that it was not the meal/food item they were expecting. being in the ocean is much safer than: driving a car, walking on the sidewalk next to a street, or being outside in a thunderstorm! I have been in the ocean hundreds, maybe thousands of hours surfing since I was 18 until now without any issues other than danger from humans! Like agro locals who think they own the ocean or idiot jet skiers. i have been surfing & seen many sharks around in San Diego (Scripps is a deep water canyon) & in Maui (Ho'kipa) they are curious but have no intent to hurt humans. Control you irrational fears or you will miss out on the wonders Mother earth has to behold & enjoy!
âThe odds of me being bitten twice are almost impossible to calculate.â
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Actually, they're fantastically simple to calculate; The odds are zero if you don't go in the water again. Then they go up from there.
@yarnm If you fly to Hawaii for a vacation and don't get into the water then you're a "Pudsmack". The water here is great, right now the water temperature on the Big Island is 79 F .....
 @Billy Batts Better a Pudsmack than a pudsNack...:)
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I grew up on Oahu, and the North Shore was my playground (Waimea Bay, Pipeline, Backdoors...Ehukai). Never saw a shark and attacks were unheard of...but that was over 30 years ago.Â
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Lately there have been reports of attacks around the major islands. Wonder if it's related to the oceans being overfished and the increasing dead zones?
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I miss the surf and warm weather...enjoy yourself!
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Okole Maluna!
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('Bottoms Up!')
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Whenever I've snorkled anywherre between Kehei and McKenna I've always had a feeling that I was being watched. Now on the Big Island I don't have that same feeling. I want to wish Mr Kennedy a speedie recovery ...
@Billy Batts I think there may be more runoff and murkiness in those areas on Maui and I've heard that sharks tend to be found more often in those sort of areas.
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My son and I snorkled over a good sized shark about 8 foot long on the Big Island off the side of Kapuna beach. It was resting on the bottom in about 10 feet of water and I was not too concerned as I dont believe Tigers rest on the bottom. My boy was a bit freaked out and wanted to get to shore pronto.
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Have you ever been to Makalawena Beach on the big island? That is one of my favorites...
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http://www.hawaiigaga.com/big-island/beaches/makalawena-beach.aspx
@Dirtman Makalawena is beautiful and very quite. Of course it's kind of tough to get to. It's either a 40 minute walk or a 40 minute (one way in either case) drive over probably the worst road on the island. I've been going to Hokeena Beach which is south of Kona about 24 miles or so. Not as quite as nice as Makalawena but lots of dolphins about 300 yards off shore nearly everyday.
@Bennicus...btw...try paddle boarding...the dolphins seem more apt to come up to you on one.
@Bennicus....thoughts on Ellison? I'm optimistic. He's going to pump a boatload of money into the Four Seasons which is sorely in need. I'm confident we'll see more action and less "talk" than from Murdock. I understand he's in a bit of a pissing match with Michael Dell to see who can own the finest Four Seasons property in the world. It's nice when simple folk can benefit from the egos of billionaires.
 @Solipsist01 I live on Lanai and the spinner dolphins can be seen pretty much any day at Hulopoe.  Haven't had any come up to me while snorkleing yet.  Lots of turtles on the eastern side and monk seals to the north.
@Dirtman....If you want to swim with wild dolphins...the place to do it is Hulopoe Bay on Lanai....LOTS of them.
@Dirtman But the bees are nice bees in Hawaii. I know where the Seaspray is, we stayed in a house that was 4 houses north of the little church across from the Seaspay right when we figured out we could move here.
The dolphins at Hokeena are out in about 30 feet of water 300 yards offshore just about everyday.
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By the way if you go just south of milepost 88 there is a road that will take you to Makalawena Beach. You'll need a rental 4wd vehicle, the higher the better. This road will put you much closer to Makalawena then Kekaha Kai will. I will not take my own vehicle down that road though.
@Billy Batts Yes, even the road that goes to Kekaha Kai state park for hiking to Makalawena was quite bumpy.
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I liked Hokeena, but only saw dolphins when I went kayaking across Kealakekua. There sure were a lot of bees at the fresh water showers at Hokeena.
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Last time I was on the Big Island, I stayed at the Kona Seaspray by Kahaluu Beach Park.
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My mom just got to Kailua-Kona for her usual wintering over.
@Dirtman....it's Hapuna...fyi
@Solipsist01 I just snorkled at Two Step yesterday.
@Dirtman....haven't been in years, but Honaunau Bay and Kahaluu are my Big Island favorites...I like Makalawena minus the hike.
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@Solipsist01 Yep, my mispelling.
@Billy Batts....where on the Big Island?
@Solipsist01 Kailua Kona, on top, nearly Holualoa...
@Billy Batts...we were early investors at Hokulia but luckily escaped unscathed before the poo hit the fan.