Shark attack halts competition at Honolua Bay
Competition at the Maui Pro has been called off after a 55-year old male surfer was attacked by a shark while surfing there at 7:45 am.
Competition would've begun at 8am, however it was first put on hold and later cancelled by WSL CEO Erik Logan who released an Instagram video.
The Maui Police Department has closed the coast from DT Flemming Beach Park all the way to Punalau Beach, or Windmills - approximately 5kms of coast.
The victim suffered injuries to his left side lower extremities. WSL safety crews quickly got to the man and transported him to shore where they began CPR.
On November 27th, a woman suffered severe injuries near S-Turns at Kahana, approximately 7kms southwest from Honolua Bay.
Comments
Shark incident FFS.
Does this bloke actually exist or is he really just a computer generated amalgam of every horrible example of dehumanised corpo speak in existence ?
Hope the surfer who was attacked is doing OK.
What would you have said Blowin? What would be an improved way of handling this? It's a serious question and I'm really interested to hear about what would be better (AndyM and anyone else..also very interested in your opinion)
It was a shark attack. Call it as such , there’s no shame in it. It’s not a slight against sharks - they attack things and they often do so with the intent to eat them.
Calling it a shark incident is pandering to the fiction of nature as benevolent wonderland. This may sound pedantic and it probably is pedantic, but it’s part of a broader narrative which falsely tries to present any shark / human interaction as playful, inadvertent and innocent. This isn’t a puppy whose teeth are sharper than it realised.
No one calls a drowning a swimming incident. If someone got mauled by a croc it’s not described as a crocodile incident. Otis mealy mouthed and adds to the conception that Elo literally can’t utter a sentence without putting it through a cynical and unnecessary corpo filter.
I don’t really care about “ thoughts and prayers “ , that’s Seppo culture but the “ shark incident “ is pure corporate whitewashing of the sort that turns my stomach.
I don’t know a single person who’d genuinely describe someone being ruined by a shark as an incident. There’s a distasteful bit of premeditated spin at play when they do so. I’m not sure what it takes to override the indoctrinated sales pitch but it seems that not even a bloke being smashed by a ( probable ) tiger shark qualifies as deserving of honesty.
But that’s like , just my opinion, man.
To be fair, this all happened in a pretty short space of time.
Elo came on the WSL broadcast shortly after the attack - he was at Pipe, not Honolua - and he looked pretty shaken as he broke the news. Elo appears to have then recorded the above video for Instagram, shortly after being on the WSL broadcast.
At that time, he would have only had basic secondhand information about the attack (as he wasn't there), but with the Finals of the Women's event meant to begin within an hour or two, time was of the essence to get some kind of message out (the WSL had only just told everyone - including broadcast partners etc - that they'd be live soon).
So, I think he's done well in the heat of the moment.
As for "thoughts and prayers", yeah pretty stock standard for any kind of tragedy, and I always roll my eyes when I hear it. I wish they'd say something else, though... what kind of concise acknowledgement would be appropriate?
I'd say anything but those two words. 'Thoughts and prayers' has become the stock apology for the NRA after each mass shooting in the US, so the words have effectively lost all meaning.
To my ears it sounds like someone who's not sorry at all.
abso-fukn-lutely
hey stu, why cant i upvote this?
btw gday
agree
My theory.... is it could be based on legal advice. That is, WSL is an authority in the surfing (or at least in court, could be portrayed as such).
If insurance claims come in to play, an authority (just role with it for now) making a public statement that this was an attack could be used as "evidence" or even called upon directly in any legal proceedings if insurance company doesn't want to pay up (though don't think WSL would be under any obligation to participate). The reason the nuance between 'attack' and 'incident' is relevant is because the former leans towards in being 'an act of nature' (i.e. unprovoked), whereas 'incident' leaves the door wide open to it being unprovoked or the "victim" (of course, they used that word, which has implications) having played some role.
By keeping the language broad/ambiguous, it lessens the likelihood of an adverse claim against the WSL (if it involved them) or being caught up in something external to their operations (i.e. as an "authority"). This is why you see 'incidents' used when it comes to road....err.... incidents.... because technically speaking, when it comes to road incidents (hence why the police don't use 'accident' anymore), very, very, few of them are accidents. I think you'll find if you dig through event data, almost all are negligence on some person or entity's part (driver, carmarker, road authority, etc). And all of that has implications on the insurance and legal side of things. Basically if the coppers say "road accident" then an entity that is technically negligent stands a better chance of fighting off any/total liability claims because they can say "nah, the police said it was an accident, so I don't have to pay anything or maybe only a little bit".
That 'its on' logo should be revised Logan.
Wow, he actually used the "thoughts and prayers" line - maybe he really is a CGI bot.
I mean, I never believed those teeth were real.
Thoughts and Prayers?? Fucking robot.
Poor fella. That's shit. I remember Abubo mentioning in the commentary that she saw a shark yesterday morning in the lineup. Doesn't sound too good for the fella that got bitten. Sending thoughts to him and family. Gonna be tricky for WSL to negotiate this one going forward for the rest of the comp.
Left side lower extremities? Is that his leg?
Hope the guy who got hit is ok, but having to do CPR is never a good sign.
Critical i think mate. Not good. 17 inch bite mark. Big shark.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/12/08/maui-pro-hold-due-shark-incide…
no, it's not.
good luck too the fella and those who rescued him.
That’s a big bite. Fark it makes you cringe.
Hope the guy pulls through
That bite is either exactly where his leg would’ve been if he was sitting up on his board. Scary stuff.
Incredible how the direction of your life can pivot in a moment. Luck or destiny ?
leg bite if he was sitting, hip and thigh if lying down.
Jesus.....such a massive bite mark, does anyone know if Whites frequent the Hawaiian Islands? or is it more likely to be a large Tiger or Hammerhead that's really gone for that poor bloke.
Goodluck to you fellow surfer.
I believe most attacks in Hawaii are from tiger sharks including the one that took Bethany Hamilton's arm on Kauai.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/rare-footage-three-f…
Tiger or Bull I would imagine wag.
All the best to you mate and hope you recover well.
We got trouble at Broome again
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-09/second-shark-attack-at-cable-bea…
That's a signifcant bite. Hopefully you get through this mate and all the best with the recovery.
Looks like a tigerish bite.. very round, and rounded teeth rather than triangular of a white..
Way back up the top there, Blowin, you answered perfectly, reflecting my thoughts exactly. This kind of language has infiltrated everything.
They use to called Emergency services, now they're called "First Responders",respect to them all BTW, also some media call a gunman," The Shooter"
First responders are called that because they are the first on the ground to an incident before the emergency services arrive proper.
Anyone who's done First Aid know's that they are the first responder and can administer aid/stabilise the patient and help before the experts arrive.
Hope the fella survives and pulls through. Well done to the first aiders & WSL crew.
Hope it was quick time between any loss of consciousness/breathing and start of CPR or defib; and that ambulance got there quickly.
Some dude on surfline commented he was there giving first aid and the guy was a local that had to paddle out from the 'boat ramp' cause of the WSL circus and that was to blame. Not really sure what the boat ramp has to do with anything though. Maybe sharks hanging around waiting for offal from the fishermen?
There's a river/creek mouth at the boat ramp. Think the point he may have been making is that it's a likely place for an attack.
It is also a much longer paddle to the lineup from the boat ramp. Normally you climb down the cliff and paddle straight out but due to the crowds he took the longer route and a paddle across the bay.
the boat ramp is right inside the bay and it's an amazingly picturesque bay.. different parking to the point and a longer but pleasant paddle out.. there's usually lot's of tourists snorkeling around that area if the swell isn't too heavy & in good water quality there's lot's of fish and turtles to see; doesn't seem "sharky" from an Aussie visitor POV but...
For those critical of the thoughts and prayers comment I suspect that if any of you have the misfortune of being surrounded or attacked by a shark you will be calling for divine intervention ! I agree that the comment is meaningless if not intended but I can assure you that if a buddy or child of mind is attacked by a shark I will be thinking of them and praying for them !!
I agree JFS.
It's not that isn't intended, it's that the statement has been co-opted and now represents something else.
For example, people on both sides of US politics want to 'make America great again' but they won't all express their wishes that exact way.
getting tired of all these shark attacks. its time to start culling killing them.
Unbelievable comments there . Extreme judging. Not the time to be judging or Disrespectful.
Get it right. Wow. Disappointing.
I'd imagine the competitors and crew would also be affected by what happened this morning out there.
One minute enjoying the view, then this going down. Tragic way to end the comp at its pinnacle. I am lost for more worthy words.
i guess they are thanking their lucky stars it wasn't one of the girls in the comp cameras running etc ,Mick Fanning rerun except a worse ending ......but thats the risk they take.
..........well......at least he didn't say Alleged shark incident
I just follow the road... go wherever it takes me.
Never though crossed East of the WA border.
Haven't needed to for the search.
That note... Is sweet enough.
Edit: Regarding logo change...
Get a grip, blowin, stu, andy, etc. A shark has taken a bite out of some poor bugger and your main interest is taking the opportunity to have another go at ELO/WSL/USA. It's very poor form.
I feel you've got it arse about D-Rex.
Some poor fella gets a serious bite and the boss of the organisation starts spouting the most ghastly cliched empty platitudes.
Is he that indoctrinated into American corporate bullshit that that's the best he can do?
Shark Attack victim has sadly died.
RIP..
Sad news. He's passed. Rest In Peace matey :(
Hectic
Unbelievable.. sad news.
Rip mate.......
So the wsl must be thinking what are they going to do about this shark problem,seems to follow them around a bit....Jbay,Margies,cabarita and now Maui
https://beachgrit.com/2020/12/surfer-attacked-by-tiger-shark-at-site-of…