shark
A man has been left in a critical condition after being bumped off his paddleboard by a shark that attacked him in waters off Hawaii's largest island over the weekend.

Hawaii authorities told US television network KHON the 25-year-old was paddleboarding around 9.30am with his father around 100 metres offshore of Kukio Beach when the animal swam up to him and knocked him into the water before biting him.

The man, who is believed to be a resident of the Kukio Golf and Beach Club, was rescued by a private safety team on the secluded beach and treated at the scene before being airlifted to hospital.


"Apparently they had heard a scream from the ocean and they took a four-man canoe out to find a male individual who had been bumped off his paddle board about 100-150 yards offshore," a representative of the local fire squad told KHON.

"They recovered him from the ocean. He had injuries to his right side extremities. The bystanders and the staff there at Kukio did a wonderful job and applied some tourniquets before EMS arrived."

The attack is the first shark-related incident to occur on Hawaii's Big Island since 2015 when four people were injured after coming into contact with one of the animals.

The man, who has not been identified, was required to undergo surgery for his wounds and may still be transported to another medical facility.