A Hawaiian fisherman survives a shark attack, performing his own life-saving care
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A Hawaiian fisherman is speaking out after a shocking encounter on the water left him fighting for his life – and relying on emotions he never expected to use.
A 22-year-old diver says what started as a normal day at sea suddenly turned violent when he found a shark entangled in a fishing net – a moment he described as a split second that changed everything.
Josiah Kaimani Ventura, a commercial fisherman, told Fox News Digital that he was diving inside the cave for a rare species of fish when he came up and saw a shark struggling to land.
“Everybody in Hawaii wants to help — it’s our kuleana,” he said, referring to the cultural responsibility to care for the ocean. “That’s all I was trying to do.”
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Alone on the beach, Ventura told Fox News Digital that he used his wetsuit to create a life-saving tourniquet. (Josiah Kaimani Ventura)
But as he approached, the shark shuddered and relaxed.
“It just came out and stuck to my thigh,” he said. “No warning. One moment it was calm, the next he was with me.”
The force of the bite sent shock waves through his leg. Even when the blood was flowing in the water next to him, Kaimani Ventura refused to look at the wound.
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Doctors closed Ventura’s wound with 70 staples and 90 stitches after the attack. (Josiah Kaimani Ventura)
“I’m an aggressive person,” he said. “When I looked, I knew I was going to black out. The only thing in my mind was: Get to the shore and breathe.”
He swam about 40 meters towards the shallows, pushing through what he described as “clouds of blood” spreading around him. When he finally reached water shallow enough to stand, he risked looking at his leg.
“I saw everything inside it,” he said. “It was supposed to be the time I fainted and died.”
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Instead, adrenaline and what he considered divine intervention kept him going.
Alone on the beach, with his friends far behind, Kaimani Ventura forced himself up to the beach and began to perform life-saving measures on his own. He tore the fabric from his clothes, applied double pressure to the wound, then tightened his own tourniquet.
“I thank God that he kept my mind clear,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been able to do any of that.”
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Josiah Kaimani Ventura shows the scars left after surviving a shark attack. (Josiah Kaimani Ventura)
Instead of calling 911, the first person she called was her mother.
“I knew I had to hear his voice,” she said. “He got angry at first, and I had to hang up. When I called him, he pulled himself together like mothers do. He helped me calm down.”
It took about 20 minutes before an ambulance was called and another 45 minutes off the road before Josiah met first responders on the highway.
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Paramedics removed his temporary tourniquet and applied their own before rushing him to Kona Community Hospital, where surgeons closed with 70 staples and 90 stitches.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) confirmed to Fox News Digital that they are aware of the incident and are looking into it.
Even after surviving a shark attack that could have easily killed him, Kaimani Ventura said his respect for the ocean hasn’t changed and neither has his way of life.
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Fisherman Josiah Kaimani Ventura said he will return to the sea when he is sedated, despite the incident that almost killed him. (Josiah Kaimani Ventura)
“I didn’t learn the lesson myself,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll stay wet. That’s me.”
But he has a message for others.
“For anyone at home – don’t do what I did,” he said. “If you see an injured or confused animal, especially an apex predator, write it down and report it. Let NOAA or wildlife officials handle it.”
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Kaimani Ventura works four physically demanding jobs: commercial fishing, construction, land preparation and maintenance, all roles he will not be able to return to for at least six months. Still, he considers himself lucky.
“Glory to God — I left with a wound and a memory, not as a wounded person,” he said. “I got lucky. I got really lucky. Others might not. So if my story helps someone make a safe call, that’s worth it.”
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Despite everything, he is looking forward.
“I will go back to work as if nothing happened,” he said. “The sea is my home. I’m not done with it yet.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
