TODAY BY A SHARK THAT'S
RELATIVELY SMALL AND "RARELY"
SEEN.
THE LAST TIME WE HEARD ABOUT THE
COOKIECUTTER SHARK WAS WHEN IT
BIT ANOTHER CHANNEL
SWIMMER HERE IN HAWAI'I 10 YEARS
AGO.
NIKKI SCHENFELD SPOKE WITH THE
MAN'S FRIEND AND
HAS MORE.
NIKKI?
KATHY - I SPOKE WITH A MAN WHO
HAS SWAM THE KAIWI CHANNEL IN
THE PAST. AND KNOWS THE MAJORITY
OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ATTEMPTED AND
SUCCEEDED THE 26 MILE JOURNEY.
HE'S CURRENTLY WITH THE VICTIM
AT THE HOSPITAL AND SAYS HE'S A
LITTLE OUT OF IT BUT IS GOING TO
BE
OKAY.
ERIC SCHALL AND HIS FRIEND STEVE
FLEW TO HAWAII TO SWIM THE KAIWI
CHANNEL. WHICH IS FROM MOLOKAI
TO OAHU. IT'S A
CHALLENGE ONLY 63 PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE.
BILL GODING/VICTIM FRIEND AND
SWIMMER: "THEY'RE TWO SWIMMERS,
THEY SWIM A LOT, THEY TRAIN,
THEY HAD PLANNED ON DOING THIS
CHANNEL FOR QUITE A WHILE."
BUT STRONG WINDS DELAYED THEIR
ORIGINAL PLANS
BILL GODING/VICTIM FRIEND AND
SWIMMER: "THE WINDOW LOOKED VERY
GOOD FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY THE
WINDS DIED DOWN AS
YOU CAN TELL AND THEY BEGAN
MOLOKAI AT 6:29 P.M."
HE SAYS HALF WAY THROUGH THE
SWIM.STEVE BECAME ILL AND WENT
BACK ON THE
BOAT.
BILL GODING/VICTIM FRIEND AND
SWIMMER: "ERIC CONTINUED AND OF
COURSE IT WAS NIGHT HE WAS
STRUCK BY A COOKIECUTTER SHARK
AND THAT
SHARK BIT HIM IN THE ABDOMEN."
EMERGNCY MEDICAL SERVICES SAID
SCHALL WAS ABOUT NINE HOURS INTO
THE SWIM.GODING SAYS
THE ESCORT BOAT IMMEDIETELY
GRABBED HIM AND BEGAN FIRST AID.
HE WAS BROUGHT TO HAWAII KAI
BOAT RAMP AND TAKEN TO QUEEN'S
HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS BUT
STABLE CONDITION.
THE FIRST HUMAN ATTACK BY A
COOKIECUTTER SHARK HAPPENED TO A
MAUI MAN SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
WHEN HE WAS SWIMMING THE
ALINUIHAHA CHANNEL.
EXPERTS SAY COOKIECUTTER SHARKS
AVERAGE ABOUT A FOOT AND A HALF
IN LENGTH AND
SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN DEEP
WATER. BUT CAN COME UP TO THE
SURFACE TO FEED AT NIGHT.
BILL GODING/VICTIM FRIEND AND
SWIMMER: "THIS IS NOT A SHARK
YOU WOULD NORMALLY SEE, IT'S A
VERY SMALL SHARK BUT VERY
BEEN KNOWN TO ATTACK DOLPHINS,
WHALES AND SEALS.
SCIENTISTS HAVE SAID THAT
SWIMMERS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHEN
OUT IN DEEP WATERS AT NIGHT
BECAYSE THE COOKIE CUTTER SHARKS
ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT.
KATHY:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS
WARNING OF "GIANT,
LIFE-THREATENING SURF"
TOMORROW....RESIDENTS ARE WARNED
