When Bethany experienced something unimaginable, her whole life would be forever changed…
Childhood In Paradise
From an earl age Bethany always knew she would become a surfer. She was born and raised on the idyllic Hawaiian island of Kauai to a family that each had a special and enduring passion for the ocean.
ADVERTISEMENT
Precocious Learner
At just five years old little Bethany first learned how to surf. Unsurprisingly, the young ocean-lover to the waves like a true natural. Her rapid progress was nothing short of astounding. At age 7, she was surfing with no assistance, able to stand on her board with confidence. It was evident that Bethany was a born surfer. She would soon make waves of her own.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Rising Star
At 9, Bethany Hamilton was miles ahead of her surfing peers. She soon began surfing competitively. The world quickly noticed Bethany’s obvious and outstanding talent. Rip Curl, an international surfing brand specializing in surfing gear became her official sponsor. And things for the young surfer would only escalate from there…
ADVERTISEMENT
Budding Career
Bethany was fast becoming a superstar. Bethany’s parents knew that their daughter had the passion and capacity to truly excel at an international level, they soon enrolled her in as many surfing competitions as she could take on. This young Hawaiian’s lifestyle was about to change drastically.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A Force To Be Reckoned With
Bethany soon became world-renowned as a remarkably talented, precocious young surfer. In a streak of success, she continued winning competition after competition. Bethany was a true force of nature. The sport became the very air she breathed. Unbeknown to the young, things would soon change one fateful morning.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Halloween Sunrise
On October 31, 2003, 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton woke at the crack of dawn, around 5 AM. Her mother gave her a ride to a local surfing hotspot, Tunnels Beach, just outside of Wainiha on Kauai’s northern shore. There, Bethany met up with her best friend Alana, and Alana’s dad and brother.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
No Idea She Was Being Watched
Bethany was relaxing in the water not far from her friend. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and the surrounding water was relatively calm. Bethany lay down on her board and waited for the waves to swell so she could take to the surf. The young girl had no idea she was being watched.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Waiting For Waves
There were plenty of sea turtles in the water. It was a tranquil and sun-drenched Friday morning, typical of everyday life in beautiful Kauai. As Bethany waited for waves to gain momentum, she trailed her left hand off the surfboard in the water. It was a harmless, unconscious action, that seemed entirely natural to the young girl. But by merely placing her hand in the water, this small seemingly small action would change her life forever.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A Terrifying Blur
It all happened so fast. One moment Bethany was safe and relaxing on her surfboard, and in the next split second her body was being violently being dragged through the water. Something had viciously clamped on to her left arm.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Something Had Grabbed Her
Whatever had took hold of her arm was moving rapidly from side to side with unbelievable strength. She couldn’t see what was attacking her, but she knew that if she wanted to survive she would have to remain on her surfboard.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Staying Afloat
As an unknown force pulled at her left arm, Bethany managed to not be dragged down into the depths of the ocean. She clung on to the side of her surfboard, desperate to gain some sense of stability.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Fighting For Her Life
As she fought to remain afloat, she felt no tangible pain, just the panicked movements of whatever had taken ahold of her. After a few moments of struggle with the unknown creature, Bethany noticed something she hadn’t seen before. The ocean water surrounding her had turned crimson with her blood.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
An Unbelievable Discovery
As quickly as the attack had begun, it was abruptly over. The young surfer had managed to stay on top of her surfboard throughout the violent attack. In her haze of adrenaline and shock, she struggled to understand what had actually happened.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Something Was Not Right
She still felt no pain, but the blood red water surrounding her surfboard told a different story. It was in that moment that she looked down and saw an almost surreal and unbelievable sight: her arm had been almost completely severed from her body.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Evacuating Bethany
Bethany had been attacked by a shark and the attack had left her with her arm almost completely torn from her body. She was bleeding profusely, but somehow, she managed to stay calm and conscious despite the horrific circumstances. Her surfboard had also been damaged, a 16-inch chunk missing.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Calling For Help
Bethany screamed to her friends for help. Her friend paddled over to her as quickly as she could. Alana, her father, and brother all knew that Bethany desperately needed medical attention. Bethany was helped to the shore as fast as possible. But one thing plagued the family’s minds: What if more sharks were attracted by the commotion?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Unbelievable Strength
It was only when Bethany made it to shore, with the help of her friends, that she finally begun to feel the excruciating pain of her injury. She began to desperately pray, trying to concentrate on remaining calm and conscious.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Crossing Kauai
The pain proved too much and the young girl soon passed out as she waited for the ambulance to arrive. It would take more than an hour for them to drive her from the site of the violent attack to the nearest hospital at Wilcox Medical Center, on the opposite side of the small island.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
In The Hospital
Bethany’s father, Tom, was in the same hospital at the same time. By a sheer stroke of fate, he had arrived that morning to undergo a previously-scheduled surgery on his knee. Doctors quickly postponed Tom’s surgery in order to make way for his wounded daughter. She was immediately taken into the emergency room. She had lost a severe amount of blood and doctors were unsure what would be the outcome for young Bethany.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A Lot Of Damage
Miraculously, Bethany survived the shark attack but her recovery was nothing to be taken for granted. The young girl’s arm was amputated in order to save her life. Bethany had come dangerously close to death. The body goes into a severe state of shock when 20% of its blood is lost. Bethany had lost 60%.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The Attacker
The dreaded creature that had attacked Bethany was fourteen-foot long tiger shark. Tiger sharks are known and feared as one of the most dangerous shark species, made even more terrifying by their tendency to frequent shallow waters, where swimmers and surfers are most likely to be located. But what would happen to the young surfer?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The Star Recovers
Bethany spent three intensive weeks in the hospital. For a girl so used to being active, catching waves for hours each day, the needed bed rest was difficult to cope with. But her thousands of fans were sure to make her time of recovery easier.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Life-Changing Questions
Now that Bethany had survived her ordeal and was on her way to recovery, the young surfer would have to face the most trying question of her young life. Now that she was an amputee, would she continue to surf? How could she paddle out and maintain her balance? It seemed impossible.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Bethany’s Promises
In bed recuperating, Bethany made two promises to herself. First, she promised herself that she would not let the shark attack define her. She did not want to be seen as a victim, she wanted people to respect her for her determination and courage and skill without pity.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Learning To Surf
She was determined to get back on a board and into the water. Incredibly, it took just 26 days for Bethany to return to the ocean. Barely a month had passed since she was so brutally attacked, but she refused to waste another second. Despite her fierce determination, her journey would be an uphill battle.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Unseen Assailant
She would often leave the water in floods of tears, feeling defeated and frustrated with her slow progress. Bethany also was weighted down by another huge worry. The surrounding waters were still infested with local sharks and the trauma of the incident still shook her to her core.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Fighting Fear Itself
Bethany began singing and praying while in the water in order to overcome her immense fears. She used every ounce of her resolve and internal strength to battle her inner demons, to clam herself when she began to feel rising panic while in the ocean.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Paying Off
Her mental and physical strength all paid off. She had designed a longer, thicker surfboard that would better support her body, allowing her to more fluidly stand up while balancing with just one arm. She would not be defeated.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Back On Her Feet
Barely 3 months after surviving the devastating attack, Bethany Hamilton would partake in her first competition since the incident. To her and her fans delight, the young survivor won first place! Her life had been permanently altered, but her strength and courage had pulled her through the horrific ordeal.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Champion
In 2004, not even a year after losing her arm that fateful morning, Bethany became the National Scholastic Surfing Association title champion in all of Australia. Not long after that, she made her way back to America, and would take home the same title.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Giving Back
When unforeseen tragedy struck Southeast Asia in December 2004 with the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that left entire regions destroyed, Bethany felt an unrelenting urge to help those who had been affected by the disaster. She immediately booked herself a trip to Thailand.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Volunteering
Bethany volunteered with children in three Thai seaside villages affected by the natural disaster. She used her passion to help others, teaching children how to surf in order to overcome their own trauma. If anyone could teach people that with hard work and bravery, any trauma could be overcome, it was Bethany.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Rethinking The Water
The shark attack affected Bethany’s family in many life-changing ways. Her mother and father and siblings would help their daughter and sister adjust to her new life as an amputee, but it would also change their own habits. As a surfing family, they too felt vulnerable when in the water.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Brushes With Danger
As it would seem, if you surf in Kauai for long enough, chances are you’ll encounter the local sharks. According to Bethany’s mother, Bethany has had three terrifying shark sightings with sharks since the accident.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Would It Happen Again?
There was even a particularly terrifying sighting where a five-foot hammerhead shark swam directly under her surfboard. Bethany quickly headed back to the beach. But the girl who had hurdled over every obstacle before her wouldn’t let this stop her.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Bethany Reaches Out
Bethany Hamilton penned an intimate and revealing autobiography titled Soul Surfer, which would later be made into a full-feature film. She has appeared on the Oprah Show to tell her incredible story, and several documentaries have been made inspired by the young teen. Her resolve, strength, com passion and positivity has inspired fans around the world.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Surfing Over Adversity
Despite gaining worldwide fame, Bethany Hamilton has never strayed far from her roots in her tropical island paradise. She still lives in Kauai. She is now happily married to Christian youth minister, Adam Dirks. Together, they have two small children, Tobias and Wesley. Bethany continues to surf, to inspire others and to live each day to the fullest.