HANALEI HAWAII USA It was early morning and Bethany Hamilton a star surfer was waiting for a wave off the coast of Hawaii The water was clear and the waves were gentle Bethany 13 was lying on her surfboard with her arms in the water Suddenly a shark appeared out of nowhere and bit off her left arm just below the shoulder The water around me was red with blood Bethany said later She remained calm while her friends got her to the beach Although she was bleeding heavily and in pain she never cried
Bethany is one of the best young surfers in the USA Several weeks after she lost her arm she was smiling on TV and telling her story I m lucky she said I m alive A month after the attack Bethany returned to the water on her surfboard Friends on the beach cried when Bethany stood up on her board and rode her first wave Man she s fantastic said a friend She gives people hope
