Katie Marsico - Surviving a Shark Attack: Bethany Hamilton

Katie Marsico

Lerner Publications Minneapolis

SURVIVING

A SHARK ATTACK

Bethany Hamilton

Copyright 2019 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

Lerner Publications Company

A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

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Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Marsico, Katie, 1980 author.

Title: Surviving a shark attack : Bethany Hamilton / by Katie Marsico.

Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota : Lerner Publications Company, [2018] | Series: They survived (Alternator Books) | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience: Ages: | Audience: Grades: to

Identifiers: LCCN 2018008679 (print) | LCCN 2018028103 (ebook) | ISBN 9781541525610 (eb pdf) | ISBN 9781541523531 (library binding : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Hamilton, BethanyJuvenile literature. | Women surfers HawaiiKauaiBiographyJuvenile literature. | SurfersHawaiiKauai BiographyJuvenile literature. | AmputeesHawaiiKauaiBiography Juvenile literature. | Shark attacksJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV838.H36 (ebook) | LCC GV838.H36 M37 2018 (print) | DDC 797.3/2092 [B]dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018008679

Manufactured in the United States of America

1-44426-34685-7/5/2018

To my Maria, as well as the Cummins girls (all truly brave in their own right)

Contents

When Bethany Hamilton looked at the water around her, she saw it had turned blood red. Moments before, the ocean had been calm and clear off the northern coast of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The thirteen-year-old surfer had been hoping to catch some waves with friends on October 31, 2003. Yet her plans suddenly took a life- changing turn.

Bethany, who was lying on her surfboard, didnt see the tiger shark rush toward her. She felt pressure and a powerful tugging as its teeth ripped into her left arm. In just seconds the shark let go and disappeared beneath the waves. Before it did, however, it tore off most of Bethanys

Surrounded by a Sea of Red

Introduction

left arm. When Bethanys friends realized what had happened, they began pulling her toward shore roughly a quarter mile (0.4 km) away. But they couldnt just drag her board across the foamy waves. Her rescuers also had to prevent her from bleeding to death.

The trip to shore was filled with risk, uncertainty, and several unspoken questions. Was the shark still nearby? What was the fastest way to get help? Most important, would Bethany survive?