In search of his daily catch, the 27-year-old spear fisherman Braxton Rocha swam 60 yards offshore at Upolu Point on the Big Island coastline in Hawaii. After a quick exploration in an underwater cave, he came face to face with a 13-foot tiger shark. The dreaded sea creature attacked him on the leg. Rocha escaped his predator by punching it straight on the nose.
The story sounds like a page from Popeye's playbook, but a video of the attack proved otherwise. Despite all odds, Rocha did what seemed to be a natural and basic survival instinct: hitting it where it hurts.
"Once she locked on my leg, I cocked back; I punched her in the nose," said Rocha. The tiger shark let go of Rocha's leg and swam away.
The surge of adrenaline probably kept Rocha from realizing what just happened. He was able to swim a few distance before the blood came rushing out of the wound. Rocha swam for shore as fast as he could, fearing that the tiger shark would come back in retaliation.
Upon reaching the shore, he shouted for his friend, Shannon Pasco, who came with him. The waves were so loud Pasco couldn't hear him. It took a few minutes, but the two men were able to escape the deadly shark, loaded their van and drove frantically back to town. Pasco gave Rocha a tourniquet for the wound. The men looked for cellphone service and immediately called 911 for medical help.
Rocha wanted to call is mother during the ambulance ride to the North Hawaii Hospital but he couldn't reach her. Instead, he posted a quick video of his wounded leg on Instagram to tell people of his ordeal. The "shark attack selfie" video went viral almost instantly.
Rocha's doctors were amazed, not only because he survived a shark attack but also because he didn't pass out during the three-hour surgery. His wounds required 100 staples, but his doctors expect him to make a full recovery soon. Just like the son, his mother, Laurie Rocha, shared the good news from the doctors on social media.
The now popular Rocha expressed his desire to get back underwater. Despite his near-death experience, he still respects these top predators, he said.
