‘Water was red’: Hawaii surfer recalls costly shark attack
Hawaii surfer Mike Morita woke up early and planned to get a few waves in before going to Easter service with his wife.
Morita, 58, headed to his regular spot locals call Kewalos, known for reliable waves over shallow reef near the mouth of a harbor not far from downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu’s south shore.
“The water was crystal clear,” he said, noting how it was already bright at 6:15 a.m.
He was lying on his stomach on his board after riding a few waves when he felt a bite on his right leg.
“The sheer strength of it, I knew right away it was a shark,” he said Wednesday from his hospital bed. “In that critical moment, I went to God.”
He prayed for the shark to free his leg as the pressure intensified and the creature thrashed about.
“I kind of surprised myself that I went straight into prayer,” he recalled.
But he didn’t pray to stay alive: “The whole time, I never thought I was gonna die.”
“God wanted me to fight, so I started beefing,” he said, using a Hawaii Pidgin term for fighting. He repeatedly punched and swore at the shark.
His shouts and swearing got the attention of his fellow Kewalos regulars, who paddled straight toward him without hesitation.
“The water was red — with my blood,” he said. “I cannot believe how much courage my friends had.”
FOR MORE STORIES, PLEASE USE NEXT PAGE BUTTON BELOW!
