Shark takes a big bite out of Hawaii teenager's surfboard

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A 16-year-old Hawaii surfer said he had a lucky escape when a shark came up out of the water and bit a huge chunk out of his surfboard.

Max Keliikipi, 16, said he was surfing about 100 yards off Makaha Beach about 7:30 p.m. Sunday when he spotted the shark's fin in the water next to him.

"It goes underneath the water, [and] I put my feet on top of my board. I'm just sitting there, looking around for it," Keliikipi told KHON-TV. "And then, boom, it comes underneath me, bites my board."

The teenager said the shark appeared to be 10-12 feet long.

"It was literally, and I'm not exaggerating this at all, literally an inch or two in front of my feet," Keliikipi said.

He said he swam back to shore as fast as he could.

Keliikipi said he doesn't plan to surf solo anymore.

"Next time I'm just going to go in the daytime and with my friends, not surfing alone anymore," he said.

An Oregon surfer had a similarly harrowing encounter in March, when a shark knocked him off his surfboard off the coast of Pacific City.

Nathan Holstedt said the shark left a bite mark on his board only about 6 inches away from where his leg had been.