Veterans experience sharks up close as part of Wounded Warrior Project

A group of wounded warriors swam in a cage among more than 10 sharks and a 4-foot barracuda off the North Shore Friday to help them heal from the uncertainty that comes from the mental and physical scars of war.

The nonprofit Wounded Warrior Project offers more than a dozen events a month on Oahu for veterans who served in a combat zone or have a Veterans Affairs disability rating, said outreach specialist Ron Wuestefeld.

Some of the 10 veterans along on the North Shore Shark Adventures trip had family with them. Some have post- traumatic stress disorder. Others have “wear and tear” injuries, Wuestefeld said.

The trips are about getting the vets a bit out of their comfort zone in an adrenaline- filled but safe environment, “and kind of showing them you can keep it together, you are safe, everything is good,” said Wuestefeld, a former Schofield Barracks soldier who has dealt with PTSD himself.

PTSD remains an under-treated ailment within the military on Oahu, Wuestefeld said.

“I would say it’s still on the higher end of the concern because you have warriors who will not admit they have PTSD,” he said.

The snorkelers, protected in a cage about 6 feet by 6 feet, got to see 4- to 7-foot sharks and a big barracuda in choppy seas.

“It went well,” Wuestefeld said. “They all had smiles on their faces and at the end they told me that they had a great time and they would like to do it again.”