HAWAII (KITV) — For many fishermen, there’s a tale of the one that got away. In this case, Scott Haraguchi is glad this one got away.
He was out on his kayak fishing over a mile offshore from Kualoa in Windward Oahu. He happened to accidentally leave his GoPro turned on after catching a fish. That GoPro then captured harrowing moments that happened next.
“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 brown thing my brain thought it was a turtle but then I got slammed by it and realized that it was a tiger shark,” Haraguchi explains.
Haraguchi says he was able to kick the shark away from his kayak and keep fishing. He was running on adrenaline at the time, but it wasn’t until he got home and looked at his video that he realized the magnitude of what had happened.
He’s not sure what prompted the shark attack, but says shortly after, he noticed what appeared to be a wounded seal. He believes the shark may have mistaken his kayak for its wounded prey.
It’s unclear if it’s the same shark, but a day later on Saturday, a 20-foot shark sighting prompted officials at Marine Corps Base Hawaii to close North Beach and post signs.
In the meantime, Haraguchi says he’s concerned about the recent sightings. He says he’ll always bring a partner when going fishing. He says he’s also counting his blessings. “I realize that life is short, time is short on Earth, so make the most of it,” he says.
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