Madi Thoele, 4th Period: Shark Attack in Hawaii

Summary: On Friday, October 9th, witnesses (both in the water and on land) helped save shark attack victim, Colin Cook, who is 25 years old. The event happened along the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, at "Leftovers Beach", a popular surf spot. Witnesses said Cook was sitting on his surfboard waiting for a wave when a shark bit his leg from underneath. Cook struggled and hit the shark several times before it finally let go of his leg. "He swam on his own free will to another surfer who threw him onto his board and paddled him straight to shore," said his cousin Chris Webster. A kayaker also helped him get back to shore, says Shayne Enright of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. When they reached the shore, still others jumped in to help. and they tied the surfboard leash around his leg to create a tourniquet. They then carried Cook on a surfboard to a nearby highway, where he was loaded into an ambulance. They took him to a local hospital trauma center in critical condition, where most of his leg had to be amputated. Officials say witnesses told them the shark was up to 12 feet in length, but the species of shark is unknown. This is the fifth reported shark attack in Hawaii in 2015.

Analysis: I am, of course, so happy Cook survived this shark attack and came out with an amputated leg. This reminds me of when Chief Powhatan and his tribe held John Smith hostage and Pocahontas (allegedly) saved him from being killed. The shark can represent Chief Powhatan, although the shark didn't want to kill Cook out of vengeance, he was just hungry. Colin Cook represents Smith. Finally, the many people that transported him to shore and to the hospital can represent Pocahontas, since she apparently saved Smith from the wrath of her father. This article was written by Andreas Preuss and uploaded Saturday, October 10th. The author is not biased because there's nothing to be biased about.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/10/us/hawaii-shark-attack-injures-surfer/index.html