A diver was bitten by a shark while attempting to free the animal from entangling fishing gear off the coast of Hawaii Island.
Hawai‘i Island Police said they were called to Ka‘alu‘alu Beach, on the west coast of the Big Island, shortly before 4.30pm on 9 December, following reports that a man had been injured during a dive.
Officers were told that a 24-year-old man from Holualoa had been diving with two companions when they spotted a blacktip reef shark entangled in rope and fishing line around 30–40m from shore. As the group worked to release the shark, the animal began thrashing and bit the man on both the inner and outer parts of his left thigh.
The injured diver was assisted back to shore by the other members of the group. Hawai‘i Fire Department paramedics treated him at the scene before he was airlifted by helicopter to Kona Community Hospital. Police said he was in stable condition.
Following the incident, police reminded the public not to attempt to free or handle entangled marine animals themselves. Instead, members of the public are urged to report such situations to the relevant authorities so that trained responders can carry out the work safely.
State and federal agencies advise that distressed marine animals can behave unpredictably and may pose a serious risk to anyone attempting to intervene without appropriate training or equipment.
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