Spear fisherman in Hawaii fights off attacking tiger shark

A HAWAII spear fisherman says he fought off a tiger shark by smacking it on its nose after it locked onto his leg along a stretch of Big Island coastline.

Braxton Rocha, 27, said he had swum about 54m offshore in search of fish, when he found himself face to face with the largest tiger shark he had ever seen. It was “jaws wide open”, he said.

Rocha, who later posted a video of his injuries on social media, said he put his hands on top of the shark’s nose to try to control it. But it was too strong and its jaws clamped down on his leg.

He then punched it on the nose, and it let go and swam away. His diving buddy then assisted him.

Rocha required about 100 staples to close the wound during three-hour surgery to his leg. He is expected to make a full recovery. – NZ Stuff