"It felt like I just got blasted by a torpedo. I didn't feel the bite from the adrenaline and then I was immediately underwater getting thrashed."
Four days before Christmas, Californian surfer Adam Coons was hit by what he and his lifeguard buddy, Jez Howard, estimated to be a fifteen-foot Great White while surfing at Santa Rosa island, twenty-six miles off Santa Babs.
If you’ve ever been to Santa Babs, you might’ve stared at the Channel Islands out there on the horizon, these inconvenient land masses that block all the summer south swells.
Santa Rosa is the second biggest. Plenty of waves, too, if you like ’em uncrowded.
As we reported at the time, it was Jez who saved Adam’s life with his practised use of tourniquets, a simple device that can save almost anyone who’s been hit by a shark.
Now, Adam and Jez have appeared on ABC News to talk about the attack.
“It felt like I just got blasted by a torpedo,” said Coons. “I didn’t feel the bite from the adrenaline and then I was immediately underwater getting thrashed.”
Jez saw it all from the boat.
“I looked up and the white shark was hitting at him, it took him out of the water probably I’d say about five feet, ya know the shark had him in [its] mouth. I just said ‘Come on buddy, you can make it.'”
Coons said his survival was due to the actions of his pal, the professionalism of the local Coast Guard and the miracle of Christmas.
“If any of these puzzle pieces didn’t come together, I don’t believe I would be here right now… I don’t know why it’s me and my family that get to stay together, while others have lost so much, and why I am keeping my legs and why I will have full recovery, except to hopefully inspire others to not give up on their passions and for families to hear the story of a Christmas miracle and to come together during the holidays no matter what might have been otherwise standing between them…I know that this is the plan for me and I don’t intend to squander this new lease on life.”
Coons also had his recently departed ma helping.
“My guardian angel, my mom, who was there as a lone seagull following the boat keeping a watchful eye until the chopper arrived.”
Coons says he’s unsure when he’ll surf again.
I’m surprised he doesn’t have an antibiotic IV drip in. Once stabilized, infection is the thing that will get you.
It seems very California to me that someone seeks publicity for themselves in the name of helping others.
Will say this..guy is gonna get laid a lot in the near future.
I got a little emotional reading this!
Hang in there Coons.
And peace and love to all beach gritter land for 2020!
Shark attack? Becoming bit of a surfer hipster trend. If you don’t lose a leg maybe d you don’t deserve the fame.
Didn’t even try fight back ? Soft as shite!
P.s has anyone checked in on the 🦈.
I hope it’s ok
https://youtu.be/tWLkt-sisTA
“I just said “Come on buddy, you can make it.’” “.
That doesn’t seem like a very natural first reaction.
Depends in what manner he said it.
If it was sorta sarcastic and bitchy, it might add some hidden depth to the scenario.
Almost exactly what my friend said to me as I regained consciousness after my encounter.
I’m a Banana Splits guy.
I’d say maybe my sons are, but if it’s mentioned on here then it’s probably obsolete in their world.
I think this is pretty racist towards torpedoes.
Sharks as torpedoes
A new weapon in the war against the terra
I’ve got an amazing joke for you Bexy. I just made it up last night.
Even better is that it’s not relevant to either surfing but politics.
What color is Soleimani’s eyes?
Blue.
One blue this way. And one blue that way.
Boom boom
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lets hear it
What’s the worst thing Harry Potter could eat his breakfast from?
?.
A wizards sleeve?
A Bowl-demort.
😂
Emoji alert! Let’s keep the childish doodles on narcisgram instead of here. We are serious about our sarcasm and childish jokes here and can’t be bothered by emojis.
What’s the best thing Martin potter could eat his breakfast from?
His breakfast table .
I love it.
Best*
Although not a real shark…The United Underworld created a shark weapon in 1966.
The greatest year ever!!
Or at least since 0001
Wait,I was wrong. Real shark, only they had put a bomb in it.
Every WSL event broadcast, I stare off to some distant point where the why’s die alongside many why’s from many where’s, and think “this is pretty waste-this tards Turpeledo”.
I think that was a 540.
Don’t think channelbottom. Know.
I bow to the knowledge that came before, sensei.
To see before, you must see 180°.
If a man sees 540°, he doesn’t see before.
What if I see ‘Full Roter”, sensei?
Roter when you root her.
Blasted by a torpedo.
Sorry, I don’t know gay slang.
If he said he felt like he got a Dirty Sanchez I could relate.
Wow you are a class a tool. Haha. My guess is you probably are gay
Gay as the day is long. I just don’t know gay slang.