A GoFundMe fundraiser (https://bit.ly/4olCdtk) has been launched for a man bitten by a shark on Wednesday while surfing at Hanalei Bay on Kauai.
The fundraiser is for Chance Swanson, a Kauai resident described as a “well-respected lifeguard and surfer, and one of the humblest people you will ever meet.”
Swanson’s mother, Rose Keaweamahi-Hoovler of Kapaa, launched the fundraiser to help foot hospital costs, she said in a post, as his health insurance will only cover a portion of treatment.
Kauai County officials on Wednesday reported that a male resident had been bitten by a shark while surfing near the Pine Trees surf break at Hanalei Bay, when a shark bit him on the leg.
First responders treated him and took him to Wilcox Medical Center. Officials did not have information on the type or size of shark involved.
Shark warning signs have been posted at Hanalei Bay, which will be reassessed later this afternoon.
In the post, Keaweamahi-Hoovler described the shark as a tiger shark, though officials have not confirmed it.
She said first responders on the scene “did a fantastic job,” and that their efforts ended up saving her son’s life, but that Swanson sustained serious injuries to his left leg.
Swanson has since been medevaced to The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu, where he underwent surgery to fix an artery in his leg, she wrote, and needs another one to fix his fibula from the shark bite.
Kauai County officials have not yet provided an update on the beaches or the incident.
For up-to-date information about Kauai ocean conditions, beachgoers can talk to a county lifeguard at any lifeguard station or call the Ocean Safety Bureau at 808-241-4984.
Source: The Garden Island