A Waikato man was mauled by a great white shark after he fell from a kayak on a fishing trip, a coroner's report has revealed.
It is not certain if Maurice Bede Philips, 24, of Ngaruawahia, was attacked by the shark before or after he drowned.
Mr Philips had a large bite on the upper thigh - consistent with one from a 3m great white - that caused huge tissue and blood loss.
Despite the uncertainty, the incident in December 2009 was considered the most recent shark attack in New Zealand waters until this week when a shark bit surfer Peter Garrett, 42, in the leg in Taranaki.
Mr Philips' death had been reported as a drowning, but details of the shark attack are contained in the report from coroner Peter Ryan released to the Weekend Herald.