Mike coots swims in the ocean with his prosthetic leg just weeks after a tiger shark ripped off his leg. Picture: Caters
THIS super surfer is such a fanatic that he was back out on his board just three weeks after a shark ripped his leg off.
Michael Coots was surfing through shark infested waters off Hawaii when a tiger shark grabbed him by his right leg and took it clean off.
Despite losing a limb and spending a week in hospital, Michael the claims the hardest part of the ordeal was the three weeks he spent away from the ocean.
He now surfs in the same waters with a prosthetic limb and says it is better than ever.
Michael, from Hawaii, said: “I was attacked at the PMRF Navy Base on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai when I was with some close friends.
“The water was really stinky and murky, but the surf was good so we paddled out anyways.
“After waiting for a wave for ten min or so, I saw a nice wave and starting paddling for it.
“A large tiger shark came out of the water right below me like a submarine, and grabbed both my legs.
“It swung me back and forth like a dog would do with a toy, and after it stopped I punched it.
“I was basically in the shark’s mouth and looking right at it. It was obvious I was getting attacked by a large shark. I got a creepy fight or flight feeling, and was doing everything I could to get the shark away from me.
Mike Coots in hospital recovering after his shark attack. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
He lost a leg, but was still all smiles. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Mike Coots surfing with his new prosthetic leg. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
In action. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
The new leg. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Mike Coots doesn’t mind hanging out with the sharks. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
“As soon as I hit it, the shark let go of my legs and went back under water.
“I got on my board, looked at my hand as it was bloody and torn up. I started paddling to shore fast, and my right leg started shaking, almost like a spasm.
“I looked back behind me at my leg, and it was completely gone, just squirting blood out of the missing limb.”
Even in his injured state, Michael was able to catch a small wave back to the shore. He was dragged up the beach by his friends, who fashioned a tight bandage to stop the blood flow and raced him to hospital in the back of a pick-up truck.
After emergency surgery, he spent a week recovering in hospital, and a further two weeks waiting for his stitches to come out.
After that he returned to surfing straight away.
Hanging in the green room. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Casual as you like. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Michael said: “My friends saved my life as I was bleeding really badly.
“It took a little over three weeks for the stitches and staples to come out and the risk of infection to go away.
“Then it was straight back to the ocean. I was fortunate to have no bad dreams or any physiological problems.
“Being out of the water for those few weeks was the hardest part of the attack.
“It had been the longest I had been out of the water since a kid, and I was beyond ready to get back to the surf.
“I now surf with a prosthetic leg, and although challenging, surfing is more fun than ever.
“I’m not scared that it will happen again, as the odds are astronomical.
“Sharks are not to be feared, but are incredibly beautiful and an extremely important species for the health of our oceans.”
Shark selfie. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Out for a run. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
So pitted. Picture: CatersSource:Supplied
Shark Bay26:39
Plunge into the aquamarine waters of Shark Bay, WA. It's home to a diverse population of sea life, including tourist-friendly dolphins and of course, sharks. Since 1997, marine biologists have caught and tagged almost 400 tiger sharks in the bay.