The Story Of Bethany Hamilton, The “Soul Surfer”
Wikimedia CommonsBethany Hamilton surfing in 2007.
The story of surfer Bethany Hamilton’s shark attack, and her subsequent perseverance in getting back on the board after losing an arm, is likely the most famous modern case of its kind.
Bethany Hamilton began surfing at the age of eight. It was her deep-seated passion for the sport that helped motivate her to keep going, even after enduring one of the worst traumas that a surfer can imagine.
On October 31, 2003, when she was just 13 years old, Hamilton went out surfing on a beach in Kauai, Hawaii known as “The Tunnels,” with a few friends. However, the day took a turn when, seemingly out of nowhere, a tiger shark latched its jaws onto her arm.
Desperate to keep herself above water, Hamilton clung to her surf board. The 14-foot shark tried to tug her down, but Hamilton triumphed. The attack lasted a few minutes, and her friends, who were scattered along the beach, didn’t even notice something was wrong until Hamilton told them, “I got attacked by a shark.”
Wikimedia CommonsTwo years after losing her arm, Hamilton won the national surfing title.
Realizing her arm was completely gone from the shoulder down, her friends made a makeshift tourniquet, and got her to the hospital. By the time she received medical treatment, she had lost 60 percent of her blood.
While losing an arm due to a shark attack may have kept most out of the water for good, Hamilton only wanted to return to the ocean. Less than a month after her attack, she was back to surfing. Within just two short years, Hamilton won a national surfing title, and she continues to brave the waves to this day.
