Tiger Shark Attack In Hawaii Was Like ‘Shark Week,’ Surfer Fought With Fists And Surfboard [Video]

A tiger shark attack in Hawaii was described by surfer Kaleo Roberson as being like “Shark Week” due to the ferocity of the attack. The surfer says he was having fun surfing at Maalaea Freight Trains with his three sons, Steve, Justin and Eric, when the 10 to 15 feet long tiger shark suddenly attacked. Robertson says he panicked at first, but then he went all Braveheart when he realized his sons were in danger of the shark attack.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, a shark attack victim in Australia says people should not blame the sharks even as the land down under is considering further shark culling and shark nets. A tiger shark attack on a paddle boarder knocked a woman into the water, leading to a struggle for her life.

Kaleo Roberson says that when the tiger shark attack occurred, it was “something you dream of on Shark Week.” He recalls the day being fairly normal when suddenly he spotted a “weird ripple” like a current heading his way.

“Then all of a sudden I see this mouth the size of a trash can coming at me. This shark was so big all I could see was its open mouth charging right at me and the kids,” he said. “It was so close to me, and the mouth was so open when it came up. It was in pure attack mode, and it was just right there. I was basically in its mouth.”

The surfer slid off his board to confront the tiger shark attack and he “gave it this Heisman trophy move; giving it a good stiff arm. There was no thinking, it was just pure reaction.” But the shear violence of the shark attack rattled Roberson.

“At that point I let out this girly cry and started slapping and kicking at the water,” continues Roberson. “But something came over me and I knew my three sons were right there and I had to do something right now. Something came over me, like I was Braveheart, and I went mental.”

Roberson realized he was fighting for his life against the tiger shark, but as he swung the surfboard like a hammer, all he was thinking about was his three sons swimming only 10 feet away from potential death.

“I don’t care if this thing bites me, but if my pride and joys are making it to the beach safe, then I’ll feed this thing my leg if I have to,” he said.

Kaleo’s weapon doesn’t sound like much, but his surfboard was made of this “new Brazilian epoxy that’s super strong — you can run over it with a car.” He used his water fighting skills and kept swinging the board, getting in a “couple good blows.”

Apparently, the tiger shark must have felt this prey was not worth the trouble and decided to beat a hasty retreat. When the large tiger shark turned around to swim away, the backstroke of its tail had enough force to throw Roberson almost 10 feet back. According to Surfline, even though the tiger shark gave up the danger still was not over, since Kaleo had to drag his three sons and a 200-pound Hawaiian friend named John Patao around 100 yards to shore.

Fortunately, the tiger shark attack in Hawaii did not result in any deaths or injuries. According to the Press-Telegram, the only victim was Kaleo Roberson’s surfboard, which suffered a 14-inch bite mark… leaving the family with quite a story to tell.