When Animals Attack

Early one morning in November of 2003, Bethany Hamilton did something she regularly did -- she went to Makua Beach on Kauai in Hawaii to go surfing. A 13-year-old competitive surfer, Hamilton often went surfing with her best friend and fellow competitor, Alana Blanchard. On this morning, Bethany and Alana were joined by Holt and Byron -- Alana's dad and brother. At about 7:30 a.m., a tiger shark, probably 12 to 15 feet in length, suddenly bit off Hamilton's left arm, just below the shoulder.

Photo courtesy Carl Roessler A Tiger shark

"Nobody saw the shark," said Bethany's 21-year-old brother, Noah, who also said that it was a calm day with clear water. After Hamilton was bitten, instead of panicking and possibly drowning, she paddled over to her friends with only one arm. Along the way, she even made sure to warn other surfers and swimmers nearby -- shouting that there was a shark. Loads of Hamilton's friends and family attest to her quiet strength, pointing out that she has never cried about the incident. Even her doctors were surprised at her determination.

Photo courtesy http://www.bethanyhamilton.com/ Bethany Hamilton surfing (before the shark attack).