A surfer in Hawaii escaped a shark thanks to her boyfriend who reportedly grabbed the dorsal fin of the attacking predator and punched it in the nose.
McKenzie Clark, 34, of Kailua-Kona, related the terrifying Friday morning experience to
Hawaii News Now after she and her boyfriend Brian Wargo had gone out into waters off Halaula Lighthouse in Keawaeli Bay on North Kohala.
Clark said she believed it was a tiger shark was about 12 to 15 feet.
Wargo told the newspaper they had gone about 150 yards out to catch waves when the shark appeared to take a pass at Clark, but missed. When the shark turned around and took another pass that's when he heard her scream.
"I was just scared," said Clark. "I didn't know what to do. The first time it bumped me I thought, 'What's happening? Did I hit a rock?' I was kind of in disbelief. It just happened so fast."
Wargo, who is a captain of a sports fishing boat in Kailua-Kona, told West Hawaii Today that the shark latched on to Clark's hand the second time along with her surfing board until she ripped it from its mouth. The shark, though, still had Clark by the board's leash.
"There is no question what its intent was," said Wargo. "I'm a fisherman and I've dealt with big animals … Its intent was to eat my friend right in front of me and I wasn't going to let that happen."
Wargo said he grabbed the dorsal fin with both hands and the shark pulled him off the surf board. Wargo yelled for Clark to get on her board and punched the shark several times in the nose in the nose. Wargo said they were both able to escape and return to shore where they immediately sought medical attention for Clark.
"It was very terrifying but I am very grateful all went the way it did," Clark told the newspaper after she was released from the hospital late Friday.
Related Stories:
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.