Tour-boat employee injured in Hawaii’s first shark attack of 2025

A tour-boat employee in Hawaii is recovering from an apparent shark attack that occurred Saturday afternoon outside of Haleiwa on Oahu’s North Shore.

Hawaii News Now reported that the 23-year-old unidentified man was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The Star Advertiser, citing the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, reported that the incident marked the first shark attack in Hawaiian waters in 2025.

The DNLR had not issued a news release about the incident as of late Sunday.

Daniel Casler of My Kailua stated via Instagram that he had spoken to a friend of the victim and added the following update:

“The victim is an employee of the shark tour company and was caught in a bait ball (where are large school of fish ball up) and the shark latched onto the forearm of the individual.

“His arm was saved and he’s retained feeling. There are more surgeries ahead for him but thankfully he will recover.”

It’s not clear what type of shark was involved, but tiger sharks are implicated in most unprovoked attacks in Hawaiian waters.