Surfer nearly lost leg following tiger shark bite

HANALEI (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Kauai surfer is recovering in the hospital after suffering a shark bite at Hanalei Bay on Sunday.

Kevin Kanehe, 50, was surfing when a nearly 15-foot-longtiger shark clamped down on his left leg.

Kanehe put up a fight, stuck his finger in the shark’s nostril, and then it let go.

Doctors say that if the shark completed its bite, Kanehe would have lost his leg.

Kanehe underwent hand surgery Tuesday and had an operation on his leg Sunday.

Doctors estimate it will take a year to recover.

A GoFundMe page has been posted to help him with expenses.