LIHUE — In a scene right out of “Jaws,” a local surfer’s encounter with a shark prompted shark signs at Lydgate Beach over the weekend.
Chris “Shewy” Shewman of Lihue recounted his frightening experience with a shark that occurred while he was surf-foiling at Lydgate Beach on Feb. 1. He emphasized the importance of the buddy system when engaging in water activities.
The seasoned waterman explains that at around 8:15 a.m., he and his friend went out on a surf session on what initially appeared to be an ordinary Saturday when, without any prior indication, he encountered a shark at close range.
“It was a normal, beautiful, calm, sunny day, glassy crystal-clear water, nothing out of the ordinary, just out surf-foiling with my buddy Mark Nakama,” said Shewman. “We were at Lydgate for about 30 minutes, and we were headed out because our boards were running out of battery.
“I was in between the pond and the break, halfway out, when I started to turn to ride the wave, and as I turned suddenly, with no warning, like a jack-in-the-box, the shark lunged out of the water and at me,” Shewman continued. “He lunged out of the water with his mouth open. His eyes were shut and he was in close proximity when I hit him in the face.”
Shewman said that in those 15 to 30 seconds, the events unfolded in slow motion.
“As I hit him, my foil went underwater, and now my foil runs into his body, and that freaked him out. He then bucked me off and when I landed in the water I began to panic because he was thrashing the water all over the place.”
He described the force and intensity of the shark’s thrashing as comparable to that of a high-powered Jacuzzi and knew it was ready to attack.
“While the shark thrashed, I could sense his attack state of mind and I had a hard time grabbing my board,” Shewman said. “Once I grabbed my board, it was just an adrenaline rush. I ended up giving it too much gas and the board jumped up. I was afraid to stand up so I stayed on my stomach the whole way because I was on foil drive, and motored all the way to the beach.”
“My friend Mark escorted me out in case the shark was following me and yeah, he was big,” Shewman continued. “As I sat on the sand I was shaking and trying to process what just had happened. I am lucky I didn’t lose any limbs and am very lucky to be alive.”
Myles McCullen, another surf buddy of Shewman’s, said “I was on land watching Chris on a wave when he rammed into the shark. Chris went down and from my view, the shark started thrashing the water. I lost visual on Chris at that moment then when the shark stopped his thrashing, Chris came out of all that splashing and I had visual on him again and he proceeded to paddle.”
Shewman said afterwards, when he looked back at the beach outside the break, he could see big bait schools of fish running the water.
In response to the incident, Ocean Safety Bureau (OSB) officials stated, beachgoers were advised to swim at Morgan’s Ponds and erected several “Shark Sighting, Keep Out” signs to alert the public.
After processing his traumatic experience, Shewman said it is crucial for surfers to remain vigilant. He advised fellow water enthusiasts to consider the buddy system to ensure safety while at sea.
“When I got home, I gave my wife a big hug and a big kiss, and I sat down and had to fully process what happened to me. I was fully drained and fell onto my couch,” he said.
“I think everyone should be aware and consider the buddy system,” Shewman said. “It was so beautiful and peaceful and playful looking and it was that day and you just never know. And if you have somebody with you, if something happens, they can get you to shore, help or splash the water, and detour the whole impact.”
Shewman celebrated his 66th birthday on Jan. 31. When asked about his potential return to surfing, he stated, “I am 66 years old, I’ve surfed my whole life, I figured I made it this far, there’s no stopping now.”
“I was out surfing at Lydgate on Sunday,” he said nervously and laughed. “I had to go again and deal with it and that’s what I did. I was a little skeptical and my legs were a little weak because I didn’t know if I was going to see him again.
“I was looking out and was careful but it doesn’t matter because I was cautious the first time and that situation happened,” he added. “I am happy that my friends were there to assist me, otherwise this might be a different story. This incident will be on my mind but it’s not going to stop me.”
Beachgoers are advised to check with lifeguards when entering the ocean. For more information on Kauai’s ocean conditions and ocean safety, visit www.safebeachday.com or call OSB at 808-241-4984.