I was more than a little skeptical when I first heard surfer/photographer Mike Coots say that losing his leg after being attacked by a tiger shark in Hawaii was the best thing that’s ever happened to him. However, after watching his short feature (above) from Great Big Story I think that I genuinely believe him now.
Obviously his life was changed dramatically when he lost his leg to a tiger shark attack, passed out in the hospital and woke up 36-hours later without a leg. You’d think that his life would get significantly harder after losing a leg, and if he went through life after that carrying a ton of animosity towards the hand that life dealt him I think it’d be totally understandable. Heck, if I lost my leg to a shark I’d probably turn into a pretty bitter person. But Mike Coots didn’t let his accident dictate who he was, and he’s since gone on to live a more fulfilled life than he could’ve ever imagined. Pretty incredible stuff right here. It kind of makes me want to get out on the water and paddle into some waves, if only because watching this video reminds me of how long it’s been since the last time I went surfing.
However, I say that and then I see a video like this…Not that this will EVER make me even think twice before getting into the water, but it does renew my healthy sense of respect (and fear) of sharks:
(h/t Great Big Story)