"I'm looking forward to getting back in the ocean." (Updated)

On Friday, November 1, a Maui surfer was in the water at Sand Piles, part of Waiehu Beach Park on the north-central side of the island, when he was attacked by a shark. If we reported earlierThe victim was 61-year-old Kenji Nonoka, and he lost part of his leg in the attack.

“He came ashore under his own power,” said Maui Fire Chief Jeffrey Giessa. “He was alert. What I can confirm is that the patient’s right leg was bitten off below the knee. I’m not sure if his surfboard was damaged too. Something bit him, ripped off his leg and was on its way. He could not provide any information about the type of shark or its size.”

Now, a few days after the attack, there are some updates on Nonoka’s condition. Lovers have one GoFundMe to support Nonoka in his recovery, and they reported:

“He has left the ICU and is in the PCU, fully alert and full of joy for all the love and well wishes from the Maui ‘ohana and beyond. Kenji and Tomoko are so grateful for all the support, and he spends the afternoon talking about his love for the ocean and Waiehu surfing.

“This accident hasn’t diminished his joy one bit, but he still has a long journey of healing ahead of him, so please continue to spread the word and thank those who donated. Kenji remains positive and strong for his recovery, and in his own wise words he says “’tomorrow mo’ betta!’”

At the time of publication the GoFundMe has raised over $60,000 of its $100,000 goal.

“Morning mo’ betta!”

Kenji Nonoka

According to KITV, a close acquaintance of Nonoka, Renee Wilcox, who goes surfing with the victim almost every morning, said the following about her friend:

“When I talked to him in the hospital, he was looking forward to getting back in the ocean. He just mentioned how much he absolutely loves the ocean and that he might want to try boogie boarding for a while first.

“It’s scary for all of us because you always think, ‘This isn’t going to happen here. That’s not going to happen to us.’ and that’s what happened. He is a very hardworking man and he takes such good care of himself. He is so healthy and so positive and friendly. It’s hard to see something like that happen to someone so great.”

Reports now say Nonoka’s condition has been upgraded from ‘critical’ to ‘severe’.

Previously, a study by National Geographic showed, such as we reportedIn winter, sharks (especially the notoriously aggressive tiger sharks) congregate on Maui.

“The data revealed something amazing,” the narrator says. “Tiger sharks in Hawaii stay on their home island for most of the year. They then congregate on Maui during the winter. The scientific community was stunned.”

Why?

Mating.

As the winter months approach, could the attack on Nonoka be a harbinger of things to come? Hopefully not. But for Maui surfers, take note; couldn’t hurt.