Out Of The Blue

We bring you a reader favorite about a courageous young girl,and what’s become of her today.

- Bethany Hamilton

I HAD NO WARNING AT ALL, not even the slightest hint of danger on the horizon. The water was crystal clear and calm…it was more like swimming in a pool, rather than the deep ocean waters in Kauai, Hawaii. The waves were small and inconsistent, and I was just kind of rolling along with them, relaxing on my surfboard with my left arm dangling in the cool water. I remember thinking, I hope the surf picks up soon, when suddenly there was a flash of gray.

That’s all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of fast tugs. I saw the jaws of a 15-foot tiger shark cover the top of my board and my left arm. Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red. My left arm was gone almost to the armpit, along with a huge, crescent-shaped chunk of my red, white and blue surfboard.

Except for the fact that it was Halloween, it had been a morning like any other. My mom, Cheri, and I set off before dawn looking for a good surf spot. When we arrived at our destination, a place called Cannons, the sun wasn’t up yet. I got out of the car to take a look, but it was too dark to see the water. I couldn’t hear much either. If the surf is really big, you can actually hear it cracking on the reef from a long way away. “It doesn’t seem like much is happening,” I said.

“I guess we should head back,” Mom said with a sigh. She was equally disappointed. “Maybe the surf will come up tomorrow.” I knew that if I didn’t surf, I would be home doing social studies, English or math. Because I was working to be a professional surfer, I was homeschooled so I’d have the time to practice, but my parents piled on the homework.