On the afternoon of Feb. 1, Nicholas Iwamoto was preparing to join the Hawaii Army National Guard. He had already passed the academic test and physical exam and only needed to sign up.

But first he decided to scale Koko Crater, figuring if he could survive the trek to the top without his heart giving out, he was fit to serve his country.

Iwamoto survived more than the hike. He lived through a savage, unprovoked attack by a knife-wielding assailant he had never met. The man struck from out of nowhere — stabbing Iwamoto 18 times, lacerating his liver, diaphragm, jugular vein and left temporal artery, puncturing his left lung, slashing his face and neck, and severing tendons in his right hand.

In his effort to flee, Iwamoto survived a fall off a 30-foot vertical cliff and a 70-foot roll that broke his neck and right ankle, fractured his skull, and left him unconscious and bleeding at the bottom of a ravine.

Incredibly, Iwamoto survived it all — but at a tremendous cost. He now lives in the moment, not knowing what tomorrow might bring.

"I've had to start a new life," he said yesterday from his mother's home in Hawai'i Kai. "I want to let everyone know how I'm doing. The recovery has been a lot longer than I thought at first."

As Thanksgiving nears, 23-year-old Iwamoto wanted to say thanks to a list of people that is virtually endless — beginning with "the two Good Samaritans" who discovered him in the ravine and "who are the reason I'm still alive."

"I want to thank everyone who supported me — for all the letters, and all the donations. And I want to thank everyone who prayed for me," he said.

MORE RECOVERY

The list includes the doctors, nurses and therapists who cared for him and put him back together, and the family and friends who have been there for him.

He is especially grateful to his mother, Kitty, an educator who put her teaching plans on hold to care for him full time.

"She's not only the best mom, she's also my nurse, roommate and chauffeur," he said.

Finally, he said he wanted to express his deep appreciation to the men and women in uniform who risk their lives daily to protect American freedoms, and who, in many cases, have suffered far more than he has.

"One of my biggest regrets is that I can't join the military," he said.

He will never drive again. And he can't play golf or bodyboard as he once did. For six weeks, he was in traction in what's called a halo that was bolted to his skull to keep his head immobilized. He still wears a neck brace, and in July underwent surgery to fuse together two spinal vertebrae. It's not certain if the operation will be successful. He may need additional operations.

"It's possible that my neck might never get better," said Iwamoto, who could be seriously injured if he makes a wrong sudden move. "I pray that it does get better. And I've had great doctors — the best surgeons I could have. But there's always the risk of re-injuring it."

Because he can no longer wait tables or detail cars as he did before the assault, Iwamoto has — thanks to a woman at Yarn & Friends who took the time to teach him — taken up knitting as a pastime and an avocation.

"I knit. I knit beanies, and scarves," he said. "I knit all day and give them to people. But I'm starting to sell them. I also make beef jerky."

For now he gives his homemade jerky to anyone who purchases a knitted beanie, scarf or hot pad. But he is considering selling jerky as well.

"Most of the medical bills have been covered by insurance, but not all of it," he said. "I haven't been able to work for 10 months. My mom has been taking care of me all that time. So she hasn't been able to work either."

For Iwamoto, who was in the hospital for a month, the medical expenses continue to mount.

THE SUSPECT

As for Benjamin Davis, the 19-year-old Kalihi man accused of assaulting him on Feb. 1, Iwamoto has nothing to say. Partly, that's because he no longer wishes to dwell on unpleasant subjects. Mainly, though, it's because of the accused's attempted first-degree murder trial scheduled to begin on Feb. 8.

Authorities have told Iwamoto not to discuss the alleged assailant or the details of the incident. He has even been told not to communicate with Guy Tanaka, a California resident who was also stabbed in the Koko Crater assault, although he was not as severely injured as Iwamoto.

Iwamoto exists from day to day, trying to stay focused on the positive. Recovery is an ongoing aspect of life. He's unsure of what his future will be. So, he concentrates on the moment, and he sticks to his knitting.