WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — In six months, Derek Mitchell expects to be running and playing sports with his pals at Jupiter Community High School. But in the meantime, weeks of therapy are ahead the 14-year-old who was bitten by a shark Friday on the achilles tendon on his right leg while spear fishing in the Bahamas. Mitchell faces his second surgery today to remove stitches and close the wound. Derek Mitchel expects to return to spear fishing, but says: 'I will think of sharks differently... I thought they were only interested in fish... I changed my mind now.' The ninth-grader could be released this weekend from St. Mary's Medical Center. "I plan on getting right back in the water and diving again. The doctors told me I should have a full recovery," said Mitchell, a slender brown-haired boy who likes to wrestle, play lacrosse and kite board. The bite from the shark resulted in 16 lacerations and wounds to two other tendons along with the achilles tendon, said his father Dale, 45, a Jupiter resident who is a salesman for a spine implant company. His son faces eight to 12 weeks on crutches when he leaves the hospital, he said. "I'm very proud of my son," said Dale. "He's been very strong." The Mitchells were spear fishing with friends in the Bahamas when the attack occurred. A diver in front of Derek had just speared a hogfish, and was surfacing. "I saw the shark. It came up to me and turned away. Then, it came back around. I stuck my head out off the water to call my dad. That's when it bit me," said Derek in a calm voice. "At first, I felt nothing. Then, it felt like a baseball bat hitting me. The shark seemed to be gnawing on me. It spun me around about 180 degrees. It all happened so fast," said Derek. The Mitchells chartered a plane back to Florida, and Derek was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center. "Derek's not going to have any shortage of stories to tell when he goes back to school," said Dale. by BILL DIPAOLO | 
