Paralyzed man swims with the sharks

November 27th, 2008    Posted in Swimming with sharks

A thirty-five year old paralyzed man could not believe that he went out swimming with the sharks on Monday, an experience that he could only consider surreal but nice.

Nick Chisholm is currently suffering from “locked-in syndrome,” a condition wherein his body does not respond to the commands sent by his brain. It means that his brain functions well but his body does not respond at all. This started nine years ago and doctors have told him that there’s little chance of recovery.

Despite this ordeal, Chisholm went on to fulfill one of his plans – to go scuba diving.

Chisholm was accompanied by his brother Aaron at the National Aquarium of New Zealand located in Napier and swam with the sharks. To make things more interesting, he took part in feeding these humongous creatures.

Chisholm managed to communicate with other people through a clear board adorned with letters and numbers. He only looks at the letters and other people will get to understand what he’s saying by spelling it out.

According to reports, the ecstatic diver wanted to stay longer but the water just got colder.

The event was made possible by the New Zealand Rugby Foundation and The Rotary Club of Dunedin.