HILARY HOSIA
A man from Tobal, Aur braved a shark in its habitat, surviving an attack Saturday.
Romie Carland, 37, was spear fishing inside what he described as a “school of fish” off the coast of Tobal when he saw blood flowing from his right arm.
While Romie was registering how he was bleeding, a shark launched at him with its jaw wide open and in split second triggered Romie’s survival instinct to defend himself.
“I tried shutting its jaw as best as I could but its head slipped my grip and that’s when the shark bit a chunk of meat from my left forearm,” Romie told the Journal from his hospital bed in Majuro Monday.
“First it bit my right arm, then my left arm twice before swimming away,” Romie explained.
Romie said he was fishing with six others but they were fishing far from where he was attacked.
Romie said it took him close to one hour swimming to safety with only one arm.
“Did you feel like passing out while swimming back to shore, I mean, with all the blood you’re losing,” Journal asked.
“Not at all,” Romie answered. “It wasn’t until we reached the dispensary that I became lightheaded and the feeling of pain seeped in.”
Romie was evacuated on Air Marshall Islands to Majuro the following day to Majuro hospital.
Read more about this in the July 27, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.