HAPUNA BEACH, Hawaii — A man from Overland Park, Kan., is recovering from a shark attack in the waters off Hapuna Beach State Park on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Several Hawaii news outlets are reporting the victim is 58-year-old Ken Grasing.
The State Department of Land and Natural Resources said a 10-12 foot tiger shark bit Grasing while he was snorkeling with his family. People reported seeing the shark again after the attack.
Grasing was treated at a local hospital for severe cuts to his left forearm and an injury to his left thigh.
His neighbors told Fox 4 they were shocked to hear what happened.
“That’s totally crazy,” said Taylor Gardner, who lives next door and heard about the attack on the news. “Like, isn’t your chance of winning the lottery a lot bigger than something like that? I don’t know. That’s just Looney Tunes.”
Neighbors said Grasing is a father, husband of two children and works at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Hospital staff confirmed Grasing is a doctor in the Substance Abuse Department.
“That’s a tragedy,” Gardner said. “I feel really bad for the guy. He’s a family guy, he’s a doctor. We throw neighborhood get-togethers every once in a while.”
Phone calls to Grasing’s wife were not returned Thursday evening.
The park was closed and shark warnings were posted along parts of the coast outside the park. The public is being warned to use caution when entering the water.
Hawaii is home to approximately 40 species of sharks. The tiger shark, which can reach up to 16-feet in length, has been called “the garbage can of the sea” because of its wide variety of prey, according to the state’s shark website.
A NOAA fact sheet says the tiger is one of the top sharks involved in unprovoked fatal attacks throughout the world and is the leading attack species in Hawaii.
Information from CNN was used in this report
