Phoenix 24
Calm decisions turned terror into survival.
Hawaii | July 2026
Marine biologist and conservationist Helen Fairlamb has recounted the shark attack that nearly cost her right arm while freediving near a remote Hawaiian island in November 2024. She was observing marine life when a reef shark suddenly changed direction and charged toward her.
The animal bit her upper arm and began shaking her underwater. Fairlamb remained calm and struck its eyes, nose and gills until it released her, applying survival techniques she had previously learned.
Her companions pulled her onto a kayak and transported her toward shore during an 80-minute journey as she suffered severe blood loss. Fairlamb later spent three weeks in intensive care and underwent three surgeries, while doctors considered amputating the injured limb.
She ultimately kept a functional arm despite losing part of her biceps. The experience has not changed her respect for sharks, which she considers essential to marine ecosystems, and she hopes to return to the ocean.
La calma no eliminó el peligro, pero hizo posible sobrevivir. / Calm did not remove the danger, but it made survival possible.