Latest news with #TerryKennedy
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Manta man: film profiles unlikely bond between diver and giant sea creature
Located about 500km off the southern coast of Baja California lies a group of ancient volcanic islands known as the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Home to large pelagic species including whale sharks and scalloped hammerheads, the rugged volcanic peaks were also once the site of an unlikely friendship. It began in December 1988 when Terry Kennedy, a now 83-year-old American sailor with a storied past, met a six-meter-wide giant Pacific manta ray off San Benedicto island's rugged shore. He would go on to name him Willy. 'When I saw him beside the boat, as massive as he was, I just had to get in the water just to see him,' says Kennedy. 'I threw a tank on and jumped over, but I didn't see him anywhere. He couldn't have vanished that quick. And then I looked straight down and he was coming up underneath me. He was about four feet away and rising so I had no way to get off his back.' Together, on that day and over the next decades, the two rode through the water, with Willy taking Kennedy around the underwater volcanic peaks and as far as two miles, only to always return Kennedy to his boat. Now, 37-years on, their unlikely friendship will be explored in a new documentary called The Last Dive, released on Sunday ahead a series of limited screenings in the US and New Zealand. In it, Kennedy embarks on a final journey to the island in the hope of reuniting with the ray. With its focus on a relationship between man and beast, it will undoubtedly draw parallels to Netflix's 2020 documentary The Octopus Teacher, which told the moving story of how Craig Foster came to know an octopus. Film-maker Cody Sheehy hopes that showing the film will 'inspire a whole new generation' to fall in love with the ocean. 'For me, it's personal,' he says. 'I live with my wife and two-year-old son on a sailboat. Every night, I drift off to sleep with the sound of the ocean slapping our hull. Over the last 20-plus years, I have watched life in the ocean disappear.' When Kennedy and Willy met, very few divers understood the harmful impacts that could come with touching a wild animal – a practice that has been banned globally across federally protected marine areas and dive sites. Harmful impacts from physical touch include significant stress and behavioral changes across mantas. Yet, at the time, Willy, with his four distinctive black dots in the shape of a diamond on his right shoulder, and Kennedy, formed an inexplicable bond of trust and respect that Kennedy documented with his video camera. Coming up to Kennedy's boat and slapping his fin against the hull, Willy would wait for Kennedy to climb on his back before taking off for a ride around the island. On multiple occasions, Willy helped Kennedy locate abandoned nets. 'He drove me crazy one day trying to get my attention,' says Kennedy. 'Finally, I moved off from the other two divers, got on his back, and he took me off and we run on down. Next thing I knew, I see the bottom coming up, and there's this giant net, far bigger than anything I've ever seen before. 'I realized early on, he took me to the full perimeter of the net. He was purposely showing me what was there, how big it was,' Kennedy says. He went on to contact the Mexican navy and in two days, Kennedy, alongside a large gunship and navy divers, pulled up 17,050 meters of net. Another time, Willy positioned himself between Kennedy and a great hammerhead shark during one of Kennedy's dives. 'He turned around and came up in front of me and was kind of dogging me, back and forth. I thought he wanted to go for a ride but I'd break to the right, he'd break to the right. I couldn't understand what was going on with him. Finally I did a jig and jog and I looked around and there was an 18ft great hammer,' Kennedy says in The Last Dive. 'I thought to myself, 'Whoa. Willy protected me,'' he adds. With the largest brain-to-body-mass ratio compared with other fish, mantas are highly intelligent creatures. As curious filter feeders, mantas can recognize themselves in a mirror, demonstrating a rare sign of self-awareness comparable only to a few animals including primates, elephants and dolphins. Yet these docile creatures are listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, with thousands being targeted and killed each year for the trade in their delicate feeding gills or merely caught as bycatch across legal and illegal fisheries. Kennedy's friendship with Willy changed not only his approach to wildlife underwater but also pushed Kennedy, then a big game fish hunter, into his unlikely role of conservationist. In 1994, Kennedy captured on camera the slaughter of multiple mantas on Valentine's Day at San Benedicto island – including ones that swam with Kennedy the day before. After the incident, which prompted international outcry, Kennedy became a vocal proponent of federal fishing regulations, successfully pushing the Mexican government to declare Revillagigedo Archipelago a nationally protected marine reserve. 'What happened out in San Benedicto, I just pretty much said, 'That's enough for me.' I'd rather shoot them with a camera and from that day forward, I got along with the big fish that would actually come close to me. I don't know what it is when they no longer felt any fear of me,' he says. Kennedy's relationship with the ocean has evolved over the years. The self-confessed 'troubled kid' growing up in California started diving at 12 years old – his first dive being a 200ft dive on his own. He served in the US navy in Vietnam and later was a Hells Angel biker, a bar owner and a wild sailor living onboard his boat – once named Erotica – on the Pacific. But as his relationship with the rays deepened, he found he was his truest self under the water. For Kennedy, who has done more than 14,000 dives: 'My world starts when I go below the surface.' Since meeting Willy, that world has become one he and his ocean collaborators are dedicated to preserving. Amid a global decline in mantas and rise in poorly regulated dive boats leaving them frequently injured and their fragile ecosystems disturbed, the need to protect mantas is more urgent than ever. 'There are so many dive boats out there that if we don't dive responsibly with them, it might affect how they [the rays] feed underwater,' says Sheehy. Sheehy, who dived with Kennedy in the archipelago, also points to boat traffic, saying: 'The mantas want to come up to the top, they're hard to see and they're getting hit by boats. And I think that is the real pressure that tourism is bringing that we need to talk about.' The urgency for increased marine regulations also comes as Donald Trump's administration sets a dangerous example to other countries to disregard environmental protections. The US's latest environmental rollbacks from commercial fishing proclamations to delisting certain animals as endangered species threaten the overall wellbeing of marine wildlife. Though rare, the bond between Kennedy and Willy offers a profound glimpse at a shared bond that is possible when such creatures are given the chance to live and thrive. 'Willy showed me what needed to be done, and I've just done it,' Kennedy says.
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Student having ‘medical emergency' had been given Kratom by coach, FL cops say
A high school student found 'unresponsive' on campus had been given packets of Kratom by the school's track coach, according to investigators. The teen suffered a 'medical emergency' after consuming the stimulant, but survived, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. As for the coach, he has been arrested, officials said. The incident happened Friday, May 9, at Hernando High School in Brooksville, about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa. 'A Hernando County Sheriff's Office school resource deputy responded to a classroom ... in reference to a 17-year-old student who appeared to be having a medical emergency,' the sheriff's office said. 'The student was unresponsive with a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, and was hot to the touch. The deputy then performed a sternum rub, which the student responded to by sitting up and saying he was hot. ... The student had an elevated heart rate and blood pressure.' He then acknowledged taking 'an herbal supplement' given to him by track and field coach Terry Kennedy, a teacher at the school, officials said. 'The student advised that he saw the teacher use the supplement previously as an energy booster, and asked Kennedy if he could have some. Kennedy provided the student with two packets of the Kratom-based supplement,' officials said. He consumed both packets between classes and was soon experiencing a series of alarming symptoms, officials said. The teen was taken to a hospital 'for further treatment and observation,' and details of his condition were not released. Kratom's 'stimulant-like effects' have made it a popular energy booster, mood lifter and pain reliever, but experts have deemed it 'unsafe and ineffective,' according to the Mayo Clinic. Sixteen states regulate Kratom, including Florida, where it is against the law to supply it to anyone under age 21 'During questioning, Kennedy, who coaches track and field and is a former football coach, advised that he provided the supplement to the student at the student's request. Kennedy said he was aware the supplement contained Kratom,' the sheriff's office said. A warrant for Kennedy's arrest was issued May 16 on a misdemeanor 'charge of furnishing a Kratom product to a juvenile,' the sheriff's office said. He turned himself in the next day and bond was set at $500.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Florida student hospitalized after teacher gives him kratom: HCSO
The Brief A Hernando High School teacher is accused of giving a student kratom. The student was taken to an area hospital after ingesting the kratom product. Terry Kennedy, who also coaches football at the school, was arrested on a charge of furnishing a kratom product to a juvenile. BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A Hernando County high school teacher and football coach was arrested after deputies said he gave a student kratom. The backstory According to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, a 17-year-old student appeared to be having a medical emergency on May 9 at Hernando High School. A school resource deputy said the teen was unresponsive with a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, and was hot to the touch. READ: Tampa detectives, state trooper murdered by dangerous criminal remembered more than 25 years later The deputy then performed a sternum rub, which the student responded to by sitting up and saying he was hot. Investigators said the student's vital signs were taken at the school and showed an elevated heart rate and blood pressure. The student told investigators that he took an herbal supplement given to him by Terry Kennedy, a teacher and football coach at the school. Dig deeper According to HCSO, the student claimed he saw the teacher use the supplement previously as an energy booster, and asked Kennedy if he could have some. Kennedy, according to investigators, gave the student two packets of the kratom-based supplement. The student ingested both packets along with a soda. The student, who went to his next class, began to experience symptoms of distress shortly after taking the supplement. The student was taken to an area hospital for further treatment and observation. READ:Troubled teen stabs man 113 times at Bartow group home saying 'voices in my head told me to': PCSO During questioning, investigators say Kennedy admitted giving the supplement to the student at the student's request. Kennedy said he was aware the supplement contained kratom, according to HCSO. A warrant was issued for Kennedy's arrest on May 16 on a charge of furnishing a kratom product to a juvenile. Kennedy turned himself in to authorities the next day. Kratom produces stimulant-like effects, and is illegal for juveniles to possess or consume. The Source This story was written with information provided by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
The 42
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Sport Ireland calls IRFU's 7s decision 'disappointing but not surprising'
SPORT IRELAND SAYS the IRFU's decision to shut down its men's rugby sevens programme is 'disappointing, but not surprising'. The IRFU receives annual funding from Sport Ireland to invest in all aspects of rugby, with the total sum amounting to more than €4 million in the 2023/24 financial year. Some of that funding has been directly for rugby sevens, with more than €255,000 going specifically towards the IRFU's preparations for the Olympic Games last year, in which the Ireland men's and women's teams competed. The Ireland men's team enjoyed an impressive rise through sevens over the past decade, with the programme having been relaunched in 2015. Ireland featured in the 2021 and 2024 Olympics, finished third at the 2022 World Cup, placed second on the World Series last season, and had a World Rugby sevens player of the year in 2022 in Terry Kennedy. But the IRFU confirmed last Wednesday that it is discontinuing its men's sevens programme from the end of this 2024/25 season. The union cited the need to ensure its 'long-term financial sustainability' as a prime reason for the decision and stated that a review found that the men's sevens programme 'does not contribute as a development pathway for the 15s game.' Advertisement IRFU performance director David Humphreys met with contracted men's sevens players and staff in Dublin yesterday to explain that decision. It's understood that the players will be paid until the end of the year and provided with support for further education as they now face the end of their careers as full-time professional players. The IRFU has come under strong criticism from leading ex-players such as Kennedy, Greg O'Shea, and former captain Harry McNulty in recent days, with those parties calling for the union to reverse its decision. A group of parents of players who have been involved in the sevens team addressed a letter to the IRFU calling for details of its review into the programme to be released. They also asked the union to clarify the financial savings it will make without the men's programme, while urging the IRFU board to convene an emergency meeting to do a u-turn on the decision to end the programme. However, that seems increasingly unlikely as the IRFU proceeds with its announced plans to end the men's sevens programme. The IRFU told The 42 that it could not comment on those calls to reverse the decision or the details of the review as the union goes through the consultation process with staff and players. It's understood Ireland could potentially qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles if the IRFU resurrected the men's team in 2027 and successfully took a route from the regional European qualifiers all the way to the Games. But again, that does not appear to be part of the long-term plan for the IRFU. Sport Ireland, which describes itself as 'the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland', has shared its sympathy with the players and staff affected by the IRFU's decision but stated that the funding provided for sevens in recent years was rewarded. 'The decision to cease the Men's Sevens programme following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season is a matter for the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU),' reads a statement from Sport Ireland to The 42. 'In high performance sport, programmes are subject to being discontinued and/or restructured. 'Sport Ireland had been informed that a decision regarding the Men's Sevens programme was likely subject to review. 'The decision is disappointing, but not surprising as there is a wider global context in terms of the Sevens game. 'Sport Ireland would like to see the Men's Sevens team qualify for the Olympic Games, but this is unlikely without a long-term structured programme. 'Sport Ireland sympathises with those players and staff affected by the decision. 'From Sport Ireland's point of view, our investment through High Performance Programme Funding was rewarded with excellent performances over the last number of years.' World Rugby declined to comment when asked by The 42 for its view on the IRFU's decision to shut down the Ireland men's sevens programme.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hernando High teacher charged with giving student Kratom
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hernando High School teacher and football coach was arrested last week after police say he gave a student Kratom. Kratom is a drug that, in low doses, produces stimulant-like effects like high energy and increased alertness. In high doses, it can act as a sedative. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said on May 9, a school resource deputy responded to a classroom where a 17-year-old student was having a medical emergency. The student was unresponsive, had a rapid pulse, shallow breathing and was hot to the touch, the deputy said. He performed a sternum rub on the student, who then sat up and said he was hot. HCSO said the student's heart rate and blood pressure were elevated when they took his vitals at the school. Later on, the student said a teacher at the school, identified as 47-year-old Terry Kennedy, gave him two packets of a Kratom-based supplement that he took with a soda. He said he had seen Kennedy, who also coaches football, use the supplement as an energy booster, and asked if he could have some. The student began experiencing symptoms shortly after and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and observation. Kratom, while not covered under the Controlled Substances Act, is illegal for juveniles to possess or consume in Florida. Kennedy said to police during questioning that he knew the supplement had Kratom in it. A warrant for Kennedy's arrest was issued on a misdemeanor charge of furnishing a kratom product to a juvenile. He turned himself in to the authorities on Saturday, and his bond was set at $500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
