People on this forum are always asking who “real” t-men are, and for some reason most seem to want to talk about celebraties (which I will never understand). I heard about a REAL t-man the other day and now I just read about the guy in my local paper(philly daily news). it happend in florida (anyone from florida out there? you may have more info than me)anyway this kid is in the ocean and a shark attacked him, bit his arm right off, well the T-man was his uncle, he WRESTLED the SHARK to shore where they killed it and got the kids arm out of the sharks mouth (they were able to re-attach the arm, but I don’t know how the kid is because they said he had kidney failure, any info from some floridians would be great)now this was a seven foot bull shark that the uncle wrestled to shore!! THIS IS A REAL T-MAN not some guy that played a role in a movie, not some made up person in a movie, A REAL PERSON. point being, I don’t know why people look up to actors,rockstars, athletes,ect…THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT SPECIAL, THIS KIDS UNCLE IS. and please anyone w/more info on the kid and his uncle would be great. thanks
ABC news reported that the boy’s doctors are concerned about brain damage from brain swelling. Hopefully, he’ll pull through this. That is an AMAZING story. The 7 foot shark weighed 250 pounds.
I’m from florida. Let me tell ya. This is one BAD ASS Redneck. And believe me, only a redneck would be dumb enought to run into the water after a 6 1/2 gator. I don’t give a damn what the situation is. THIS IS A TRUE T-MAN. Looking fear in the eye and spiting on it.
As far as the kid goes. They are suspecting that he is going to end up with brain damage do to the lack of oxygen from the loss of blood, but it is still to soon to know.
Just an update and some info not reported earlier. The shark was an 8’ Bull shark. It attacked the boy in fairly shallow water in the Gukf of Mexico just at the state line of Alabama and Florida. The boy’s uncle did indeed wrestle the shark to shore. What has been reported only once is that he opened the shark’s mouth to retrieve the arm BEFORE the shark was shot so the arm would not be hit by the gunfire from an assisting park ranger. The boy was flown by helo and the arm was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. The latest info on the boy is that he is out of the coma, but still in serious condition. Sorry I don’t have more on him. Let’s all keep him in our prayers and thank God his uncle is a true T-Man who put his fear aside to help someone he loved.
T-mag definitely needs to send a jacket or T-shirt to that kid’s uncle in c/o of the hospital there. Christ, I saw that shark on the news and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He drug the kid to shore where his wife started CPR, went back in the water and drug that 250lb. shark to shore (the Uncle only weighs about 150) and a sheriff or park ranger shot it in the head. The uncle reached into the shark’s stomach and pulled the damn arm out. Amazing.
I’ve asked the question, What is a Real T-Man before on the forum with little reply. The T-Man is not a concrete figure, but an ideal as far as I can make out. It’s sorta like one of those warm, fuzzy words, like love or friendship. You can’t put a picture on it. For me, it’s like that feeling after you see a really cool guy movie and want to kick some one’s ass. The real T-Men out there are anyone that fights for what they want and don’t see opposition as setbacks, but mere obstacles to work through. They also have respect and dignity for themselves and those who deserve it. Finally, a T-Man never is dishonest with himself. That is what a T-Man is to me.
Yeah Tim, this guy deseves at least a t shirt.
I’m in Florida (and happened to be at the beach this past weekend). And I was worried about a shark attack because me and some friends were using body boards. Anyway, no problems for us, but I heard about that shark attack later. I can’t believe he wrestled the shark to the shore. That is unbelievable! But that’s what an adrenaline rush can do for you in life or death situations. Yeah, he does deserve at least a T-shirt even if he has no clue what T-mag is about. And things aren’t looking good for the kid, we should get an update soon.
That sob had some big balls thats for sure.
And I think that was a good call Heytey.
Most of the time the real men or T-Man like alot of people like to say here are just the regular guys we know and live around on a daily basis.
One of the guys who had a story about his Dad in the WW11 and all with the Chocalate Soldiers was a good story about reg guys who were heroes as well.
Hetyey ive never agreed with you until now.
As of today, the kid is in critical but stable condition. He is able to move his fingers and arm that was reattached. And he was able to move his toes on command. He is still on a respirator, but they have it on the lowest setting. So he is showing signs of improvement. The good thing is that he is young, and that will make it much better for him to have a successful recovery. Besides that, he seems to have a lot of support from family, friends and people around the world. He should make a miraculous recovery.
Here’s what i heard the day it happened, the shark was a 7ft. Bull shark and the uncle wrestled it to shore and then with HIS OWN 9mm shot it 4 times in the head and then when the ambulance got there they used some sort of prying device to open the sharks mouth and pull out the arm.
That’s what passion and love for your nephew can do for yah…DAmn,he’s a natural T-MAn if u ask me and I salute this boy’s uncle and this boy for hanging in there…
I suppose that this may tie in with the religon post, but I jsut got on my knees and prayed for this boys survival, and thanked HIM, whomever HE is to you that there are people with such profound bravery that are role models for us all, maybe not to this extent but gets us away from the whining of “what could I do” I pray for the courage in a similar event, that I not spend the rest of my days knowing I could have done something…
I live 10 minutes from where it happened. It was at an area known as Fort Pickens. (yes the same Ft Pickens where Geronimo was imprisoned). It was a 7 ft Bull, the uncle was in the water with his nephew, wrestled the shark to shore alone. Applied tuniquets to stop the bleeding for both the arm and leg, BEFORE calling 911 (crutial decision). The boy is at Scared Heart Hospital in Pensacola, the info above is pretty accurate on his condition last I checked. Not only did this guy have the adrenaline pumping to pull a nearly 300 lb bull shark out of the water, but to still maintain composure enough to remember to apply life saving measures FIRST is awesome, otherwise the young man would have bled out completely. Furthermore, if you get a chance, listen to how compsed he was on his 911 call, completely in control…My Vote for T-man of the year
the point about this was yes to give MUCH props to the uncle but also to think of the people we look up to in every day life. I have seen ,much to often, where people look up to stars of diff things and forget about the AVERAGE guy next door that is more of a hero in his everyday life than these “stars” could ever be. thank you for ALL responses so far and please keep me up to date on ANY info about the kid or the uncle. the sad part is why do I feel that if I made a coment about Arnold, positive or negative, way more people would pat attention to this thread. any way to all that took a moment and thought about an AVERAGE kid and his uncle take care.
Yes, definitely a T-man, in the rawest form. My definition of HERO is an ordinary person who does extraordinary things when in the face of extraordinary odds and circumstances. You can’t tell who that is in everyday life, only when those situations arise.
Does anyone know what financial shape this family is in? I am not a rich guy, but maybe we could get PayPal or some similar service to wave their fees, I sure the publicity would be worth an assload. I wouldn’t mind throwing them a fiver, $10 or hell even $1…
Does anyone else get a lump in their throat???
Latest news as of noon Friday:
Boy Attacked by Shark Improving
By BILL KACZOR
.c The Associated Press
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - An 8-year-old boy recovering from a shark attack is no longer in a deep coma and is responding to stimulation, doctors said Friday.
Jessie Arbogast is making slow progress after his right arm was reattached following his attack by a bull shark a week ago. Doctors on Friday planned to try to slowly take him off a device used to help with his breathing.
Jessie, neurologically, is our main focus right now. He is no longer in a deep coma,'' said Dr. Rob Patterson. He said the boy doesn't respond to light stimulation but he is certainly responding to pain and deep stimulation, and we have every reason to be encouraged.‘’
The Ocean Springs, Miss., boy was attacked at the Gulf Islands National Seashore last Friday, losing his right arm and sustaining a deep wound to his leg. He lost nearly all his blood, which damaged other organs.
His uncle and a beachgoer hauled the 7-foot shark ashore and a park ranger fired four bullets into the head of the bull shark and retrieved the arm from the shark’s gullet.
Doctors said the family has received flowers, letters and e-mails from people all over the world and remained focus on the health of their child.
They have such a great sense of faith. Their faith is pulling them through,'' said Sister Jean Rhoads of Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. They have a great sense of peace in their hearts. Their total focus remains on their son.‘’
AP-NY-07-13-01 1252EDT
And the runner up for Scumsucking asshole of the year is:
U.S. ‘road rage’ dog killer gets max. sentence
SAN JOSE, Calif., July 13 (Reuters) - A California man convicted of hurling a lap dog to its death in a notorious case of “road rage” was sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison on Friday after the judge rejected his last-minute apology for a crime which sparked an international outcry.
Animal rights activists packed into the San Jose courtroom cheered as Judge Kevin Murphy passed sentence against 27-year-old Andrew Burnett, who said he was sorry for the death of “Leo” the bichon frise and begged for leniency.
“I’m just very sorry,” Burnett, handcuffed and clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, told the court. “If there is anything I could ever say or do to bring back Leo, I would.”
Burnett showed no emotion as the sentence was read, although his lawyer said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the severity of the penalty.
Burnett’s three-year sentence stood in sharp contrast to another recent “road rage” case in San Jose where a defendant was accused of causing the death of a 27-year-old man.
In a plea bargain that resolved that case, a 34-year-old San Jose man pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor manslaughter in return for a sentence of nine months in prison, including credit for time served.
Animal rights advocates, led by Leo’s owner Sara McBurnett, said the judge was right to throw the book at Burnett for plucking the fluffy white dog out of her car after a minor traffic accident in February, 2000, and hurling it to its death in oncoming traffic.
“Andrew Burnett was enraged by a minor incident in traffic and took out his rage on Leo because he was the easiest target,” McBurnett said before sentence was passed. “His clear intent was to terrorize me in the fastest and severest way he could under the circumstances.”
McBurnett, dismissing Burnett’s courtroom statement as “an apology from a pathological liar,” said he had never shown any sign of true remorse for Leo’s death.
“He was told what to say to try to get as much sympathy from the court as possible. I’m sure none of it was genuine at all,” McBurnett said, adding that she believed he deserved as much as ten years in prison.
Murphy agreed, calling Burnett’s explanation that he had instinctively flung Leo to the ground after the dog bit his hand “ridiculous” and an insult to the court’s intelligence.
“It is not simply an animal cruelty case. It is a case of rage-induced violence. It is a case that needs to be dealt with harshly,” Murphy said.
OFFICIALS HAD SUGGESTED PROBATION
The three-year sentence came despite a recommendation by the Santa Clara County Probation Department that Burnett be given probation rather than jail time for the crime.
The department investigator noted Burnett had no prior criminal record, and said he accepted responsibility – if not guilt – for Leo’s death.
Burnett’s fiancee, Jackie Figgins, expressed disbelief at the sentence, calling it completely out of proportion with the crime. “You think of all the things people do to human beings and they get less time than him,” Figgins told reporters.
Burnett, a one-time telephone repairman, was convicted last month of felony animal cruelty for Leo’s death, a bizarre case of road rage which engrossed the San Francisco Bay Area, known both for its population of animal lovers and its infuriating traffic.
Prosecutors in the case depicted Burnett as a hot-headed driver who exploded in rage after the accident and took his fury out on Leo. The defense team argued the evidence had failed to show Burnett acted with the necessary criminal intent to be convicted of felony animal cruelty.
Donations into a reward fund for information on Leo’s killer reached around $120,000, most of which was subsequently distributed to several people who had provided tips to police.
Despite the high-profile nature of the case, investigators initially said they had little to go on to identify a suspect beyond a description of the vehicle and its driver as a thin white man in his 20s with a goatee.
In December, however, police received an anonymous e-mail tip pointing toward Burnett, whom they were already investigating on separate, unrelated charges.
Burnett was later indicted by a grand jury in April, and pleaded not guilty. It was unclear whether he would appeal.
He is due back in court Monday for the start of a second trial in which he is accused of stealing a truck and equipment from his former employer, Pacific Bell, in December 2000.
16:55 07-13-01