A 24-year-old surfer survived a shark attack at China Walls on Oahu’s south shore with minor abrasions on his leg. Albert Westpfal described a bite to his surfboard and another attack after he fell into the water. FOX Weather and SURFER reported on the incident on 9 September 2026, citing his account shared by Honolulu Ocean Safety.
Bite to the board and defence in the water
Westpfal was at the surf spot in the Portlock area with his friend Zach Sheerer. While paddling over the reef, he said he initially felt a strong impact that he thought was contact with the bottom. He then heard the surfboard breaking behind him and noticed the shark.
The animal bit the board’s tail and threw him into the water. When it approached again, Westpfal said he fought it off with kicks to the head and punches to the snout. Sheerer paddled towards him to help. Westpfal eventually reached shore with his damaged board.
Abrasions, but no reported bite to the body
The published photographs show damage to the rear of the surfboard. Westpfal also reported leg abrasions caused by kicking the shark’s skin. No bite to his body was reported. Nevertheless, the account describes an attack involving contact with equipment followed by active defence in the water.
The reports describe the animal as a tiger shark estimated at about twelve feet, or 3.7 metres, long. These are a reported identification and a size estimate, not independently measured findings. China Walls had not yet been entered in the Hawaiian authorities’ incident list available during the research. The list is updated after each official investigation is completed.
Sources give different incident dates
The reports disagree on the date: SURFER names Monday, 7 September, while FOX Weather names Tuesday, 8 September. Both describe an afternoon incident. A warning from Honolulu Ocean Safety for China Walls recirculated online carries the date 7 September, but the original notice could not be accessed directly for this research. The exact incident date therefore remains uncertain.