Hawaii’s Oahu island is a popular spot for divers and fishermen alike. Both its crystal-clear waters and abundant marine life make it a paradise for underwater enthusiasts. However, an incident reported earlier this year has sent shockwaves through the online community.

Recently, a Twitter user shared a terrifying video of a tiger shark attacking a man on a kayak. The incident occurred on May 12 when the man, later identified as a fisherman Scott Haraguchi, went to sea for a day of fishing. There he had an encounter with a tiger shark in the most unbelievable way possible. No one would have believed him if it weren’t for the video evidence.

A Closer Look at the Terrifying Tiger Shark Attack

Tiger sharks are behind Great Whites in the number of attacks on humans. Only a few weeks ago, a great white attacked a Russian swimmer in Egypt. There is rising concern among the surfing and diving community with the rise in the number of deaths due to shark attacks. This time it was a tiger shark attacking a fisherman in Hawaii.

In the footage captured by the fisherman himself, we can see the kayak moving forward in a seemingly calm sea. Right then, a tiger shark came lunging toward the kayak. It came to the surface in a matter of seconds, a few meters ahead of Haraguchi’s kayak. Then it swam incredibly fast towards him and bit the front end of the kayak. The force of the impact rocked the boat. Thankfully, that spooked the shark, which dived below, leaving behind a shaken Haraguchi to tell the tale.

Scott Haraguchi caught the whole incident on his GoPro. He had turned it to record catching a fish and then forgot to switch it off. In an interview with an online source, the man bravely said, “It was incredibly bad luck, but incredibly good luck to capture it”. He reported later that when the shark attacked the kayak, he mistook it for another animal and kicked it away. Before the shark came to the surface, Haraguchi could hear a “whooshing sound” and thought it was a turtle. When the animal finally slammed into his kayak, he realized it was a tiger shark. One viewer said, “my heart would have stopped” if she were in his position. It takes immense courage and presence of mind to kick away a shark in his territory.

Reflections on the Terrifying Tiger Shark Attack

Scott Haraguchi realized much later how close he came to losing his left foot. He had initially thought that the shark had just bumped into his kayak. He found bite marks when he got to the shore and inspected his kayak. After reviewing the footage, he learned that the shark had intended to bite out a chunk of whatever came into its mouth. He explained that the tiger shark must have mistaken his boat for a wounded seal.

Read More: Amidst Terrifying Shark Attacks All Over the World, Deep-Diver Reminisces His Horrifying Story

In the same interview, he said, “the shark may have wounded the seal, and was waiting for it to die, and came back and mistook me for the seal.” Nevertheless, the man is thankful to escape this attack without a scratch.

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