The ocean binds us

LIHUE — Mike Coots has twice faced death in the ocean.

The first time, 21 years ago, a tiger shark took his right leg.

The second time, a few months ago, he nearly drowned.

“It was way scarier than the shark attack,” he said. “I thought I was going to die.”

The Kauai man had just finished a day of surfing at Tunnels Beach and had returned to his boat when the anchor became stuck on a reef.

Three times, he dove down to free it, but couldn’t. On the last try, the anchor line wrapped around his prosthetic leg in a tight double knot.

Coots, already out of breath from tugging on the anchor and without a mask, was down to his final breaths.

“I literally thought I was going to drown,” he said.

The 39-year-old fought to free the surf strap that holds his prosthetic leg in place. It wouldn’t give.

He remembers closing his eyes and starting to drift out of consciousness, about to black out.

“Then, all of a sudden I was at the surface next to my boat,” he said.

He doesn’t remember how he got there, how he got free. He remembers dry heaving and feeling traumatized for days and not surfing for a few weeks.

“I was super shaken up,” he said. “It was a random moment in the water that happened just like that.”

Coots, today a professional photographer, will share his story and talk about water safety at Thursday’s Kauai Chamber of Commerce general membership meeting at the Kauai Marriott Resort &Beach Club.

The theme is “Help Save Lives — Ocean Minded Community Campaign,” and it is being sponsored by the Kauai Lifeguard Association and the Kauai Marriott.

An ocean safety forum will include KLA President Dr. Monty Downs; Kauai Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau Chief Kalani Vierra; Kauai Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sue Kanoho; Kauai Marriott Resort &Beach Club General Manager Paul Toner, and Kauai County Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to draw a crowd of about 500.

Andy Melamed, who handles KLA marketing and is a strong advocate for ocean safety, said KLA wanted to share its message with the chamber, which has grown in recent years and become more active with the business community.

While KLA has many strong supporters, it wants to increase its base, so it is sharing its mission with the chamber.

“I think others should join what we are doing. We have to educate them,” Melamed said.

KLA’s efforts are paying off. People are being smarter and safer. The numbers of drownings have declined over the years.

“If we can get zero, that’s fine,” Melamed said. “One is one too many. That’s a life lost. Life is our gift. Enjoy it to the max but don’t take it for granted.”

The forum panel will cover different aspects of ocean safety, including building an ocean-minded community.

Coots was asked to be the guest speaker because KLA “wanted someone whose passion is the ocean, a regular Kauai resident, born and raised.”

“Mike is Kauai,” Melamed said. “He goes beyond Kauai, but Mike is still a Kauai boy. His love for the ocean transcends any other things that God throws in front of him.”

KLA wants to emphasize many sides of the ocean — its beauty, its power, its spirit — and, perhaps most of all, that it is dangerous.

“Teach them the reality of life and the ocean,” Melamed said. “And that is Mike.”

Coots developed a love for the ocean early. He was just 18, out with his bodyboarding team, when that tiger shark appeared suddenly at Majors Bay, without warning, and attacked while he was about to catch a wave.

He would survive, but he would lose his right leg.

But rather than be fearful of the ocean or sharks, Coots became more passionate about both. He returned to the water, that very same area of the attack, as soon as he could.

He became a professional photographer and bodyboarder, and loves to surf. He studies sharks, pushes for shark conservation, and advocates for laws to protect them.

“My love for the ocean since then has grown even more,” he said. “I think a lot of people around me, people on the island, we share the common thread that we’re here because of the ocean.”

Coots said the ocean can be something different to everyone: a lifeline for fisherman, recreation for swimmers, a profession for surfers, the economic driver for tourism, a hobby for snorkelers.

“That’s why people live on Kauai. It’s the fabric that binds our community together,” he said.

That ocean, though, can be deadly if you’re not experienced and not careful — which is where Kauai’s lifeguards come into play. They are the guardians in a demanding environment.

“We need to have the best of the best,” Coots said. “I truly believe our water safety officers are the best in the world. We’ve got point breaks, reefs, sandbars, every ocean condition that can be thrown at you. They’ve got that day in and day out.”

Which is why Coots is adamant about supporting lifeguards. Without them, he said, there would be more drownings and more near-drownings.

“They are the best of the best and we’re fortunate to have that,” he said.

Not only do they save lives, but their experience also prevents mishaps before they happen. They warn people of the ocean’s dangers and send them to safer swimming or surfing or snorkeling sites.

“They’re basically preventing tragic things from happening every single day,” he said.

For lifeguards, Coots said, it’s more than a job. It’s a lifestyle.

“They’re really proud of what they do and they want to be the best at it,” he said.

Coots is often asked to speak about his experiences, his photography, and his work in shark conservation. He usually declines because of his busy schedule, but for KLA, he said “sure.”

“This is my home and I think what these guys are doing is important,” he said.

Melamed said there is no doubt why people live, work and play on Kauai.

“We’re surrounded by the ocean. It’s part of our life. That beauty that surrounds us brings us all together,” he said. “If we don’t respect the ocean, it can be dangerous and put our lives in jeopardy.”

The ocean, Melamed said, draws us to it. It is soothing and powerful and, when we’re in it, “everything dissolves and it puts things in a different perspective.”

“It brings you closer to not just who you are, but everything around you. We all have a commonality there,” he said.

Melamed said he has noticed something else that brought a smile to his face. Before, when boys and girls on Kauai were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, the answer was usually a fireman, a policeman, a doctor.

“Now they’re saying, ‘I want to be a lifeguard,’” he said. “That’s an ocean-minded community.”

For tickets to Thursday’s chamber meeting, call 245-7363.

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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.