Man survives brutal shark assault by making genius tourniquet from wetsuit
A Hawaii spear-fisher has encountered a blacktip reef shark attack and lived to tell the tale – the shark mauled his thigh but he survived using his wetsuit as a tourniquet
A spearfisherman has spoke of how he survived a brutal shark attack by the skin of his teeth by thinking on his feet and creating makeshift tourniquet from his torn wetsuit saving his own life.
Josiah Kaimani Ventura, 24, from Kona, Hawaii, was spearfishing with mates at South Point, off the island, when they stumbled upon a blacktip reef shark entangled in fishing nets. After attempting to liberate the predator, the shark attacked Ventura’s thigh, but he managed to save himself with quick-thinking first aid.
The bite necessitated hours of surgery, extensive stitches and staples, and months of recovery time. Despite facing a lengthy rehabilitation, he vows to return to the sea “as soon as the scar is closed”.
The incident on December 9 has deepened Ventura’s respect for wildlife and he urges others to exercise caution when interacting with sharks. Ventura spoke of the harrowing events and said: “The shark literally swam right up to me.” He added: “At first, it didn’t freak out or anything. It didn’t move. So I pulled it closer and pulled about five feet of line towards me.”
The situation quickly escalated when Ventura’s diving partner approached the shark from the front with a knife, which he believes startled the creature.
“When he went at the shark from its face, it spooked the shark,” Ventura explained. “Right there, the shark pulled me in a half circle, and then it literally jumped out of the water. It landed on top of my hip, and as I tried to swim away from it, that’s when it bit me on my thigh.”
Emergency surgery at Kona Community Hospital lasted three hours, requiring 90 internal stitches and 70 external staples. The attack severed one tendon and destroyed 25 t. The attack damaged 35 per cent of three major muscles in his quadriceps.
Ventura said: “All I could see was blood and flesh and fat, and all the stuff inside your leg. I should have blacked out, but thankfully I didn’t.” Faced with such a horrific injury, Ventura’s survival instincts immediately took over. Stranded on the shore while his mates Danny, 28, and Chris, 30, remained in the water, he administered crucial first aid to himself.
Ventura said: “I had to take off my wetsuit, ripped my wetsuit apart, and used the legs to wrap over it to add compression. Then I applied my own tourniquet and waited for my partners to come back.”
The isolated spot meant an agonising 45-minute, 12-mile off-road trek to reach the tarmac road where paramedics were standing by. A helicopter then airlifted Ventura to hospital.
“I was in shock, and I had tons of adrenaline,” Ventura said. “I kept my sanity enough to put my tourniquet on and stuff, so I’m very thankful for that.”
His road to recovery has been lengthy and demanding. Ventura must maintain his leg in a straight, elevated position for two and a half months, before embarking on up to a year of physiotherapy. He’s recently had his staples taken out and completed his antibiotic treatment, lowering his chances of infection.
Ventura said: “It’s still in a cast, so I have to keep it straight and elevated most of the day. They’re super keen on me taking it easy and not going fishing or anything because they really want the tendon to heal.” Yet the terrifying encounter hasn’t dulled his love for the sea. Born and raised in Hawa For Ventura, the ocean remains a fundamental part of his being.
“As soon as this scar is closed all the way and I don’t have to worry about it getting infected or anything, I’m out there,” he said. “I’ve been losing my mind. I need to go fishing again. I need to go diving. That’s part of who I am.”
When questioned about any fear of returning to the water, he dismissed such concerns, explaining: “I’m excited to get in the water. I’m feeding for it. I need to be in the water.”
The ordeal has provided him with important insights about encounters with wildlife, though his reverence for Hawaii’s marine environment hasn’t wavered. Ventura added: “I’ve spent my life around sharks and wildlife. It’s kind of our kuleana, our responsibility to take care of what takes care of us.”
“The ocean is our backyard, it’s our grocery store, so it takes care of us. But don’t be a hero, especially when dealing with apex predators and wild animals.”
He continued: “You’ve got to be mindful and smart about what you’re doing and the situations you’re putting yourself in.”
