A 20-year-old tourist visiting Hawaii was found “bleeding profusely” after a suspected shark attack on Monday afternoon, authorities said.
The man, who was visiting from Romania, was swimming about 15 to 20 feet offshore at Anaeho‘omalu Bay in Waikoloa on Hawaii’s Big Island, the Hawaii Police Department said.
Around 5:30 p.m., the 20-year-old suddenly felt pain in his right foot and discovered lacerations to the top and bottom of his foot, which was “bleeding profusely,” police said.
The man was rushed to Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
SHARK BITES TEENAGER’S LEG IN ATTACK AT NORTH CAROLINA BEACH
Police on Hawaii’s Big Island are investigating a suspected shark attack after a 20-year-old tourist was bitten on his right foot while swimming at Anaeho‘omalu Bay in Waikoloa on Monday. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The victim and two other swimmers near him did not see any signs of a shark in the water, though medical personnel confirmed the injuries were consistent with a shark bite, according to police.
Police said the tourist was swimming around 5:30 p.m. at Anaeho‘omalu Bay when he suddenly felt pain in his right foot. (John S Lander/LightRocket, File)
Police said there were no plans to close Anaeho‘omalu Bay immediately following the suspected shark attack.
The incident comes one day after a shark killed a respected lifeguard as he was surfing off the island of Oahu.
HAWAII LIFEGUARD KILLED IN SHARK ATTACK AFTER SURFING: ‘A TRAGIC LOSS’
Tamayo Perry, 49, a City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguard, died from the shark bites near Goat Island, emergency officials said.
Perry, 49, was a highly respected and “legendary waterman,” according to Honolulu’s mayor. (Facebook/Tamayo Perry )
Perry was a professional surfer and an actor who appeared in the movies “Blue Crush” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” and had a role in an episode of “Hawaii Five-0.”
Perry was also a professional surfer. In this photo, Perry is seen surfing during round three of the Billabong Pro trials on May 4, 2003, at Teahupoo, Tahiti, French Polynesia. (Steve Robertson/ Getty Images)
“I feel so upset and devastated, but I also have a weird calmness in my heart knowing that he’s in a better place,” Emilia Perry said in an interview with “Good Morning America” that aired on Wednesday. “It was like I went on the best 25-year vacation of my life with him, and now it’s over.”
Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
