KA'A'AWA — A shark bit a surfer on the leg yesterday, causing serious injuries, but the man was able to fight off the shark and paddle to shore, a witness said.

The shark attack happened about 5 p.m. offshore from the Crouching Lion restaurant.

"He struggled with it and he pried the shark's jaw off with his hands," said Aren Souza of Punalu'u, who had been surfing about 30 feet away when he heard the man yell. "We caught a wave together and he was able to paddle to shore."

The victim, a 40-year-old Kane'ohe resident, reportedly had a 15-inch open wound on his right leg and a smaller wound to the hamstring area of the same leg. He also had injuries to his fingers.

The man was taken to a hospital in serious condition, said city Emergency Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic.

City Ocean Safety personnel on watercraft cleared the water of surfers. Officials posted warning signs and said they would reassess the situation today.

The attack happened in the area where a shark bit the foot of a bodysurfer on Aug. 28, 2007. The 15-year-old boy was about 400 yards offshore from the Crouching Lion when the shark, believed to be a 12-foot tiger shark, bit him. He was not seriously injured.

Souza, 26, who didn't know the victim, said he was concerned when he saw a lot of blood in the water. He said he told the man to lift his leg onto his surfboard, but the man could not.

It wasn't until they got to shore that he could see why.

"It looked like his leg was almost gone," Souza said.

He said they paddled quickly, covering the three-quarter-mile distance from the surf spot to shore in about five minutes. "I just didn't want him to die," Souza said.

VICTIM WAS COHERENT

Capt. Ray Sheldon of the Ka'a'awa Fire Station said it appeared that the shark didn't attack head-on, but made a parallel approach before biting the surfer with the side of its mouth.

"The shark took his leg and part of the board," Sheldon said, adding that the victim was coherent when fire department personnel arrived and that the wound was wrapped in a towel.

"Apparently he made it to shore so it probably didn't sever any arteries. If he had lost a lot of blood, he would have been incoherent," Sheldon said.

The shark's bite took out a chunk of board about a foot long and three inches wide. On one side it looked like someone had cut a rectangular piece from the board. On the other, the bite mark was more ragged and a spot of blood stood out on the white foam core.

Kayne Oku, of Ka'a'awa, said he learned about the attack from a firefighter and went to the shore to see his friend bleeding but calm. Oku said he was told his friend, whom he identified only as Todd, could move his toes and leg.

"He is a really fit guy," Oku said.

Several surfers had gathered on the narrow beach next to Kamehameha Highway where the victim was treated and later taken to the trauma center at The Queen's Medical Center.

2ND ATTACK THIS YEAR

Oku said Todd was at "Second Bowl" just off Lau Place when the attack occurred. The conditions were good with two-foot waves, he said.

"Fun, good waves," Oku said, realizing that he could have been the victim. "A fun day. We all surfed out there earlier in the day."

Souza, who has surfed the area for 13 years, said he's only heard of two attacks at that spot. Other surfers said sharks are often out there and that people have to expect them.

The fire department helicopter flew over the site to warn surfers about the attack and to ask them to leave, Cheplic said.

"Because it was a confirmed attack, we'll leave one of those rescue trucks here (Wednesday) to ensure public safety," Cheplic said.

The signs will stay up for at least 24 hours, but Oku said some "crazies" will go out right away to surf.

"But me personally, I'm a dad so I'm going to stay out for at least a week and a half," he said.

It was the second reported shark attack on O'ahu this year. A woman was bitten while snorkeling in Makaha on July 25.

That attack was attributed to a tiger shark. The woman was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition with a wound to her forearm, and was later upgraded to stable condition.

The last fatal shark attack in Hawai'i was on April 7, 2004, when a surfer was mauled by a tiger shark at "S Turns" at Kahana, Maui.