NEWPORT, R.I. (CNN) - A Newport native is in critical condition Friday after he was bitten by a shark in Hawaii, according to Hawaiian television station KHON.
The 25-year-old was sitting on his surfboard in the waters of Leftovers Beach Park, in Oahu, Friday when he was attacked by the shark.
Witnesses say his legs were dangling it the water when it happened, and it appears he lost his left leg, above the knee.
Cook apparently hit the shark several times before it let go of his leg.
"He swam on his own free will to another surfer who threw him onto his board and paddled him straight to shore," his cousin Chris Webster told the affiliate.
A kayaker also assisted in the rescue, according to Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
When they reached the shore, others jumped in to help.
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Quick thinking good Samaritans used the surfboard leash to create a tourniquet to help stop the bleeding, Enright said.
A surfboard was then used to carry Cook to a nearby highway, where emergency medical staff loaded him into an ambulance.
He was transported to a local hospital trauma center in critical condition. His family told KHON that most of his leg had to be amputated.
Officials say witnesses told them the shark was up to 12 feet in length, but they did not know what type of shark it was.
Ocean Safety lifeguards alerted swimmers to the attack and warned them to stay out of the water. They also posted "Shark Sighted" warning signs along the beaches in the area.
This is the fifth reported shark attack in Hawaii this year.
Cox Media Group
