- Have you heard of someone who had a “near death” or life-threatening experience? Tell us about it. (Answers will vary, but students may talk about an accident of someone they know or something they heard on the news or saw in a movie. Be prepared to get things going with a story of your own if no one has anything to share.)
We are going to watch a video about a 13 year old who nearly lost his life. Listen carefully to see if you can discover what he focused on to survive.
Share the following video [2:48]:
Quick-Thinking 13-year-old Rescued Himself After Shark Attack
What an amazing story! Were you listening for how this teen survived?
- What did Keane do that led to his survival? (Students may talk about how Keane looked over at the kayak, swam to it and climbed on. They may talk about how he took action instead of just sitting in the water.)
Listen to part of the story from the news article about the incident:
“I [came] up, my mask is off, I’m all confused, and then I look over.” That’s when he realized it was a shark. What the 13-year-old shark attack victim did next saved his life!
“My wetsuit is all ripped up, and blood is starting to go into the water. And then just by instinct I start swimming to that kayak as fast as I can and I’m screaming help, help, help … Shark! … I swim to the kayak, I pull myself on, and I tell the guy we have to get to shore.”
Even injured, Keane kept his wits about him, and made his way quickly to a nearby kayak. Getting himself out of the water so quickly is what saved his life.”
- What are some things Keane could have been focused on that would NOT have helped him survive? (Answers will vary, but might include: The shark, confusion, his blood in the water, his ripped up wet suit, how far away the kayak looked, how small the kayak was, etc.)
- When you are scared or in a desperate situation, what are some things you tend to focus on that aren’t helpful? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
The fact that life is short and bad things can happen shouldn’t be scary if we’re focused on the right thing. Looking at the right thing and taking action likely saved Keane’s life. One time, when the Israelites were close to death in the desert, God instructed them to look at something specific to live. Let’s find out what that was!
