Hawaii: Shark tour worker said he lied at boss’ instruction about shark bite

By Keoki Kerr, HawaiiNewsNow,
Jan 03, 2014

Exclusive: Former shark tour worker said he lied at boss’ instruction about shark bite

HALEIWA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) –
A former deck hand for a Haleiwa shark tour company said he lied to medical personnel at the direction of his bosses to cover up an on-the-job shark bite he suffered last year, a charge the company denied Thursday.

Tali Ena, 32, said he worked for a year and three months at North Shore Shark Adventures, where he and other deck hands occasionally have to go into the water surrounded by sharks to untangle a line or retrieve a lost piece of equipment.

Ena said the company makes millions of dollars a year, charging tourists $96 each and $75 more for custom videos of their underwater shark encounters where they can watch the creatures from the safety of a shark cage.

“I loved my job. I loved working with sharks. I loved working with people. I enjoyed the money, the money was good,” said Ena, a Kunia resident.

He said he was paid as much as $9,000 a month as a deck hand during the peak season.

Last Memorial Day, when he dove in the water to retrieve a video camera rod, a Galapagos shark bit him on his right hand, severing two tendons and requiring more than 20 stitches in the emergency room, he said. …

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