Home / Disasters and Accidents / Lifeguard Recounts Terrifying Tiger Shark Encounter
Lifeguard Recounts Terrifying Tiger Shark Encounter
26 Nov, 2025
Summary
- Lifeguard prayed for survival or passage to heaven during shark attack.
- He suffered severe injuries, including blood vessel and tendon damage.
- He aims to return to lifeguarding and surfing after recovery.
Chance Swanson, a 33-year-old ocean safety officer from Kauai, has shared his harrowing experience of a tiger shark attack in Hanalei Bay on November 5. He recounted the sudden, violent nature of the mauling, during which he prayed for his life. Rescued by fellow lifeguards who applied a tourniquet, Swanson sustained severe injuries, including damage to blood vessels and tendons, requiring extensive medical treatment and surgery.
Swanson is now focused on a lengthy recovery, which could take up to a year as severed nerves regenerate. He expressed gratitude for the community's outpouring of support. Despite the ordeal, he remains determined to return to his role as a lifeguard and his passion for surfing, planning to adopt new safety technologies.
His recovery includes complex nerve repair and skin grafting surgery. Swanson emphasized the need for greater support for first responders and medical facilities like Queen's Hospital in Hawaii. A GoFundMe has been established by his mother to assist with the considerable medical costs associated with his recovery.
