Emergency responders then took responsibility for the medical consequences.
The attack itself had lasted only a short period.
Its effects would continue long after Morita reached land.
Chapter 7: A Severe Injury to His Right Leg
Morita was transported to hospital following the attack.
His right leg had sustained serious injuries from the shark's bite.
The extent of the damage made professional medical treatment essential.
A shark bite to the leg can affect several layers of tissue.
The animal's teeth may tear through skin and muscle, potentially damaging blood vessels, nerves, and other important structures.
The seriousness of an injury depends on its location, depth, and the structures involved.
The supplied account does not provide a complete surgical record of Morita's treatment.
It would therefore be inaccurate to invent specific operations, the amount of blood he lost, or the number of days he spent in hospital.
The confirmed outcome is that he survived the attack and received hospital treatment for a severely injured right leg.
That survival was remarkable given the circumstances.
Morita had been caught in the jaws of a tiger shark.
The animal had pulled him underwater twice.
He had fought to escape while struggling to maintain his breath.
And the bite had caused significant physical damage.
The danger had involved both the wound itself and the possibility of drowning while trapped beneath the surface.
Escaping the shark eliminated the immediate underwater threat.
It did not eliminate the medical consequences.
Morita still needed treatment and time to recover.
The incident also demonstrates why a person can survive a shark encounter without escaping unharmed.
In this case, the animal's jaws caused a serious injury, even though Morita ultimately managed to free himself.
The rescue by nearby surfers ensured that he did not have to make the entire journey to shore alone.
Their assistance connected his escape from the shark with the medical response that followed.
By the time Morita reached hospital care, the most dangerous moments in the water had ended.
But the consequences of those moments remained.
Chapter 8: Decades of Surfing Experience
After surviving the attack, Morita reflected on the experience that had helped him respond.
He had spent decades in the ocean.
That familiarity did not prevent the shark from biting him, but he believed it influenced how he reacted during the emergency.
Experienced surfers become accustomed to the physical challenges of moving water.