Young Kauai surfer
goes homeBethany Hamilton is looking
forward to spending time
with her dog, says her dad
LIHUE >> Top young amateur surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack Oct. 31, went home to Princeville from Wilcox Memorial Hospital yesterday morning.
"Bethany is really looking forward to being out of the hospital environment and spending time with her dog. We know how much everyone cares about her well-being and her recovery, so we respectfully ask everyone to honor our request for privacy," Bethany's father, Tom Hamilton, said in a statement through Wilcox Memorial Hospital yesterday.
Bethany, 13, was surfing with her best friend, Alana Blanchard, and Alana's father, Holt Blanchard, about a quarter-mile off Makua Beach, also known as Tunnels Beach, early in the morning when a tiger shark estimated at 14 feet long took her arm off in a single lunge. The attack left a half-circle hole in her board about 17 inches across.
Holt Blanchard is credited with saving Bethany's life by towing her to shore and using her surfboard lanyard as a tourniquet.
The Hamiltons, who never have been in the public eye except for Bethany's acclaim as a surfer, have been the subject of a worldwide media blitz for the past week.
"The attention we've been getting is simply incredible, and we still don't know how to handle it all," said Tom Hamilton, who works as a waiter at the Princeville Hotel.
"Now that Bethany is out of the hospital, what we need most is some family time to ourselves. Bethany's been doing well with her recovery, but the family is pretty exhausted and emotionally drained because of all we've been through," he said.
Bethany's family has repeatedly expressed confidence she will compete again with a prosthetic arm, and her orthopedic surgeon has predicted she will be able to do 95 percent of what she could do before the attack.
Her two brothers, Tom and Noah, have set up a Web site at www.bethanyhamilton.com, and the family has posted regular updates on her progress. There are links to news stories about her and to photo and video galleries of Bethany in surfing competitions.
Bethany's major sponsor, Rip Curl, is sponsoring a fund-raiser for her from 3 to 8 p.m. Nov. 15. Numerous local musicians have offered to play at the event. Food will be provided.
