VIDEO: Shark Attacks Fisherman’s Kayak In A Case Of Mistaken Identity
on May 17, 2023
In a video that could have come straight out of a horror movie, Hawaiian kayak fisherman Scott Haraguchi found himself in a startling encounter with a tiger shark off the coast of Oahu.
Armed with a GoPro camera, little did he know he was about to capture footage that would send shivers down the spines of viewers worldwide.
It all began with Haraguchi enjoying a peaceful day in his kayak hoping to reel in the catch of a lifetime. But, fate had a different plan for him.
“I heard a whooshing sound that sounded like a boat heading towards me without the motor, and I looked up and I saw this big wide brown thing which my brain thought was a turtle, but then I got slammed by it and realized that it was a tiger shark,” Haraguchi told ABC affiliate KITV.
All was peaceful until, in an instant, a tiger shark lunges at his kayak. The gripping video captured by Haraguchi’s GoPro shows the stealthy approach of the tiger shark and its powerful form lurking just beneath the surface before attacking.
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Without warning, the shark lunges, jaws snapping shut on the kayak’s left side. The force of the impact jolts Haraguchi, and the terror in his voice is palpable as he screams, “A tiger shark rammed me! Holy f—!”
Miraculously, Haraguchi managed to kick it away from the kayak. After calming down, the fisherman continued his fishing expedition, later discovering minor bite marks on his kayak, stark reminder that this incident could have had a very different outcome.
Reflecting on the terrifying incident, Haraguchi suggested that the shark had targeted him in a case of mistaken identity.
“I am thinking that the shark actually disabled and wounded the seal, let it die or was waiting for it to die, came back and thought I was the seal, and attacked me instead,” he said.
Earlier that day, he had noticed a wounded seal nearby, and he wondered if the shark may have attacked it, leaving it to leaving it to die. Returning to the scene, the predator may have mistaken Haraguchi for the injured seal.
Shark attacks remain rare in the United States, despite recent sightings of great white sharks off the coast of New England.
According to data compiled by the University of Florida, the chance of a fatal shark attack is only 1 in 4,332,817, making it a rare occurrence compared to other hazards such as drowning or airline accidents.
