Surfer loses leg in Shark attack on the North Shore

A surfer has lost his leg in a shark attack on the North Shore of Hawaii, while surfing a spot called Leftovers. Colin Cook, 25, was sitting up on his board waiting for a set when his leg was bitten, and ultimately severed, at roughly 10:30am on Friday local Hawaiian time. He was brought to shore by friends where a tourniquet was made using a leash, before emergency services transported him to a trauma centre.

Colin, originally from Rhode Island, has been living on Oahu for three years, and has done time working for shaper John Carper (who you’ll know as Shane Dorian’s shaper, among others). It’s reported that Carper, who lives opposite Leftovers, rushed to the beach to assist when he heard about the attack, telling Hawaii News Now: “I kept him, basically held his head, kept having him look at my face. He kept wanting to pass out. He’d lost his leg completely.”

Leftovers is a spot located between Laniakea and Waimea Bay, and hardly one of the coast’s most popular waves – a fact encouraged by the prevalent tiger sharks.

According to HNN, Colin’s cousin, Chris Webster, met Colin at the hospital before surgery, and got a chance to speak to him before he was wheeled away: “I got there and I was all, ‘What’s up? I heard you were fighting with a shark.’ And he started laughing and smiling. He’s all, ‘Yeah, I got a couple good cracks on him.’ So he was in good spirits.”

Colin remains in a critical condition, and here’s hoping for a speedy recovery. Be careful out there.