Hawaii Man Wrestles Out of Shark Attack and Makes It Onto Nearby Boat

A man in Hawaii wrestled his way out of a shark attack and made it to a nearby boat after suffering bites to his body.

The man in his 60s had been swimming off Anaehoomalu Bay, on the Big Island's Kona coast at 12.30 p.m on March 19 when the attack occurred, the Hawaii County Fire Department reported.

He was 200 yards offshore when the shark mauled the back of his left leg and his left hand. He struggled toward a catamaran that was moored in the Bay near where he was swimming.

Those onboard the vessel helped control the bleeding from his wounds while they called for help.

The victim was eventually taken to the shore, where emergency services tended to his injuries.

Hawaii has some of the highest shark attack numbers in the U.S. It comes second only to Florida, which is the U.S. state where most of the incidents occur.

According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been 187 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in Hawaii since records began in 1837.

It isn't clear what type of shark carried out the attack, but Hawaii's waters are home to many species, including tiger sharks and great whites.

Tiger sharks and great whites are two of the 'Big Three' shark species, responsible for most shark attacks on humans.

These sharks have a reputation for being more aggressive than other species. Nevertheless, tiger sharks don't actively hunt humans. Most attacks occur when a shark has mistaken a person's movements for those of its prey. After biting a human, many sharks let go once they realize that the victim isn't their usual prey.

However sometimes this can lead to extreme consequences.

The Hawaii incident wasn't the only shark attack to occur there recently.

In December, a women who had been snorkeling off Keawakapu Point on the island of Maui on December 8 went missing. It was later discovered that she had been killed by a suspected tiger shark.

A witness said at the time that he saw the shark's "large mouth" feeding on something "in the middle of the red cloud in the water."

A few days later on December 13 a shark attacked a man swimming off Anaehoomalu Bay, ripping a "good chunk" from his torso.

The man had been about 400 yards offshore when the attack occurred, and he attempted to fight off the shark by using a diving knife. The shark eventually let go and the swimmer was helped to shore and rushed to hospital.

Witnesses said a 12-foot tiger shark was responsible.

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