Rhode Island surfer attacked by shark in Hawaii returns home
BOSTON (AP) — A Rhode Island man who lost a leg in a shark attack while surfing in Hawaii has returned to New England to continue his recovery.
Colin Cook, 25, was met by family Wednesday when he landed at Logan International Airport in Boston.
The Tiverton native moved to Oahu about four years ago and was attacked by the 13-foot tiger shark off the island’s North Shore on Oct. 10.
Doctors say Cook will likely need a prosthetic leg and he will undergo surgery to repair his left hand. His recovery will continue at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Cook says his motto is “just one day at a time” and that some days are better than others.
The surfer says he’s dreaming of getting back on his board.
Officials: Boy’s shark bite added to database
WAIANAE, Oahu (AP) — A 10-year-old boy is recovering from his injuries after being bitten by a shark off an Oahu beach he said “just popped out of nowhere.”
The boy, who was bitten Wednesday at Makaha Beach Park, is doing well and should be out of the hospital soon, said Bruce Anderson with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Anderson said “all evidence, including eyewitness reports, points to this being a shark bite,” and officials are confirming that with the International Shark Database in Gainesville, Fla.
It’s Hawaii’s seventh confirmed shark encounter of 2015, state statistics show. The average number of shark bites per year has doubled during the past decade, but scientists say that’s because there are more people in the water, providing more opportunities for encounters. There has been an average of about nine shark bites per year during the past five years.
On Thursday morning, two surfers were in the water at Leftovers Beach Park on Oahu’s North Shore when a 10-foot shark chased them from the water, Honolulu Department of Emergency Services spokeswoman Shayne Enright said. Leftovers is the same beach where another man lost his leg when a tiger shark bit him on Oahu’s North Shore in early October.
Officials put up signs and warned beachgoers of the sighting. “No one is in the water,” Enright said.
In mid-afternoon at Makaha, one surfer shouted he saw a shark jump out of the water and grab a fish.
US Rep. Mark Takai undergoing treatment for pancreatic tumor
HONOLULU (AP) — U.S. Rep. Mark Takai announced he will undergo treatment for a small tumor in his pancreas.
Takai said his prognosis is very good thanks to early detection. He said his doctors conducted tests because he had stomach pains and discomfort for several weeks.
The 48-year-old Hawaii Democrat said he will only be away from his duties for a short period of time while he seeks treatment. He says he looks forward to quickly returning to serving his constituents.
Takai’s chief of staff, Rod Tanonaka, said it’s unknown whether Takai will need surgery or whether the tumor is benign or malignant.
Takai represents Hawaii’s First Congressional District. He was elected in 2014 after former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa left her seat to run for U.S. Senate.
$850,000 for prostate surgery that ended in blindness
HONOLULU (AP) — The U.S. government agreed to pay $850,000 to settle a man’s medical malpractice lawsuit that says prostate cancer surgery at a Honolulu military hospital left him incontinent, impotent and blind.
The settlement amount was announced Monday in federal court in Honolulu.
Robert Carl and his wife sued the government in 2013 over complications from robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy surgery at Tripler Army Medical Center. Negligent medical decisions by hospital staff left him with nearly total blindness, the lawsuit said, and he also emerged from surgery impotent and incontinent.
Carl, of Aiea, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2010. Prior to undergoing surgery in June 2010, his doctor didn’t tell him blindness could result if the procedure lasted more than five hours, the lawsuit said.
The surgery lasted nearly seven hours. According to the lawsuit, proficient surgeons can perform the operation in 2 ½ hours. “The surgeon with the more expertise can perform the same robotic surgery and faster than one with less experience,” the lawsuit said.
In court papers responding to the lawsuit, government attorneys deny all allegations of negligence. The government isn’t admitting any negligence by settling.
Medical malpractice settlements are often confidential, except when a government institution is involved.
