Britt Jones
Shark attacks are no joke, and they can be devastating for those who have the misfortune of encountering one under water.
Alongside the obvious physical impact, the ordeal can also leave psychological scars, with injuries that can cause a lifetime of pain and suffering.
And this is what a surfer continues to battle with after his horrific encounter with a shark on 15 October near Hanalei Bay.
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Kevin Kanehe, 50, was enjoying the waves in the island of Kauai in Hawaii on the Sunday when he was viciously mauled by a 15-foot-long tiger shark.
According to Kevin and KGMB news, the beast clamped its jaws down on his left leg, which led to the surfer to stick his fingers up its nose to free himself.
Thankfully, the trick worked and the sustained attack was stopped, with Kevin being able to make it back to safety on shore. But the surfer was left with severe injuries that would leave him bed-bound in hospital.
Though the shark released his leg, he was scarily close to losing it altogether as doctors told the news outlet that the surfer's actions just about saved him, as the shark couldn’t fully complete its bite.
After the incident, Kevin was able to be operated on for his most severe injury on his leg, before going back under the knife for his hand which was battered when trying to fight the shark off.
Describing the attack, the surfer remembered that he was paddling in the water and had sat on his board to look around the sea when the shark attacked from the left side, latching onto him.
After he was able to escape, a witness named as Jeff McBride helped him to shore whilst and an unnamed woman applied a tourniquet and bandages before emergency services arrived and took him to hospital for further treatment.
It was only after a friend of Kevin's wife, Deanna, created a GoFundMe page that the full horror of the bite was fully described.
According to the friend, ‘the bite went to the bone above and below his knee, taking some chips off his femur, knee cap and tibia.’
She continued: "He his knee was torn up pretty bad and into his joint too. There is still concern for infection."
The funding page was set up with the aim to help the family with medical costs and continued therapies needed for recovery, as it is estimated that it will take up to a year for Kanehe to fully heal from the attack.
"Kevin and Deanna have 2 children, Kalei 19 who is attending college in Santa Barbra, Ca, and Aleia 12 who is In 7th grade," the family friend wrote.
"Kevin’s salary will need to be replaced in addition to medical bills, therapies/rehab and possible follow up surgeries."
"There is a long road ahead and many Hurdles to overcome and I am humbly asking for support from the community to help this wonderful family through the challenging times ahead.”
"The support will provide some needed stability and strength for a full recovery."
While Kevin has been released to finish recovering in the comfort of his own home, the GoFundMe is currently sitting at $77,646, which has exceeded the $75,000 target.