#10.
NEAR-DROWNING INCIDENT AT NAZARE Maya Gabeira, one of the most prominent Brazilian
surfers, almost drowned in Portugal when she attempted a big wave ride.
The whitewater of Nazare, North Canyon, is noted for its huge waves and is the ultimate
destination for big-wave riders like Maya.
When Maya was riding what is said to be the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, she could
not reach the bottom.
The wave wiped her out, and she was pounded by the 70-foot wave that crushed her.
Surfers saw that she was struggling to lift her head after the incident.
The rescue team rode to her and a Jet Ski, and she is seen in a video waving at the rescue
Jet Ski.
The rescue sled thrown at her for support hit her in the head as she struggled to grab
the trailing rope.
She makes a second attempt to grab the trailing rope, but she goes dragged underwater by the
waves again.
That was when she gave up and started floating on the water in a facedown position, clearly
exhausted.
Finally, Carlos Burle, another surfer from Brazil, raced to her aid.
#9.
BILLY KEMPER BROKEN PELVIS
Billy Kemper is a global icon when it comes to young generation surfers.
He was recently involved in an accident that has left lifetime damage.
Kemper remembers the waves swallowing him whole and slamming him across the ocean floor,
which unfortunately had a rock.
The big wave knocked Kemper unconscious and destroyed his entire bone structure within.
His lungs were collapsed, his pelvis broken down in the middle, and his knee twisted.
The 30-year-old suffered a tall list of injuries, which could have ended his life.
In his own life, he caught a glimpse of death.
Kemper is not new to surfing; he has been on the ocean all his life.
He grew up in Maui and was trained by legendary surfing hero Laird Hamilton.
Billy has won four jaws events, the 60-feet wave, which opens up as a jaw.
Kemper is one of the few in the game to have such accomplishments and; unfortunately, this
happened.
He said that he remembers the drive in the ambulance where each bump felt like his body
was opening up and releasing blood.
#8.
KALANI CHAPMAN Kalani almost died at the Pipeline.
There was a Dahui Backdoor Shootout, and Chapman experienced one of the worst wipeouts in history.
Chapman took the second wave reef, but unfortunately for him, he could not hold down the fort when
the wave doubled up on the first reef.
Chapman was lucky to have the Hawaiian Water Patrol and North Shore Lifeguards acting with
Seth Moniz and Nathan Florence, both surfers.
Chapman confessed that this was the worst accident of his pro career.
He said that although he had hit a reef with his face, had his leash wrapped around a rock;
this experience was the most radical.
Chapman got stitches and staples in his head.
Now, Chapman is more careful, wearing a helmet to avoid further misfortune that could ruin
his life.
He is only grateful to the people who rescued him for being there on time and doing what
needed to be done.
Although he remembers the incident that nearly killed him, it has not stopped Chapman from
going back to the waves at Pipeline.
#7.
AARON GOLD In 2016, one of the most devastating accidents
on the ocean happened to Aaron Gold.
He can only describe it as a straight light out, where a switch was flipped in him.
Aaron Gold was out on the water at Cloudbreak when the morning wipeout left him unconscious,
floating facedown, and coughing blood.
The whole 2016 campaign was shattered after this incident.
Gold had to return to Hawaii, where he is originally from.
His lungs were affected by the amount of water he took in.
He had experienced a Jaws wave before, and so this was not supposed to hurt; however,
when his wave doubled, and he could no longer hold up to the current, he immediately fell
under.
He was grateful for his colleagues who were there to rescue him before anything happened.
He does not remember anything as he was off the grid the whole time.
He only remembers that it was a crazy situation and a level of fear for him.
He said that a 12-foot wave was nothing complex, and that was where he should have known better.
#6.
EVAN GEISELMAN
In December, Hawaii is often a busy place for surfers.
American surfer Evan Gieselman was in the water at Pipeline when he suffered a wipeout.
Evan rode a second wave which looked promising, only for the bottom of the wave to fall off.
He fell to the ocean's ground and was dragged for three waves before Andre Botha, a South
African colleague, rescued him.
Botha had also suffered a similar fate, only less life-threatening, and he was near enough
to go out and find him.
Botha administered CPR to Evan and continued to keep him afloat until they got to shore.
Evan made it to shore thanks to supporting lifeguards and other surfers like Mick Fanning,
Danny Fuller, Brian Toth, Kalani Chapman, and Brett Barley.
The accident did not affect Evan very much as he reached the hospital in a stable condition.
Evan Gieselman's brother entreated the surfing community to take some time to reflect on
the consequences of each wave that they ride.
Thankfully, Evan was able to get back to doing what he loves the most.
#5.
GREG LONG Greg Long is an impressive story.
He is down and almost drowning, and another time, he is out and about winning trophies.
In 2012, Long was wiped out by a wave about 40 feet high on Cortes Bank, a beach on the
Southern California stretch.
The massive swells pulled him under, and he could not come back on top.
He was fortunate to have his team nearby, who spotted the incident and rushed to his
aid.
When he was rescued, Long was coughing blood and in shock about the whole situation.
While he waited for his chopper to take him to the hospital, he claims to have realized
that he needed to stop making his entire existence about riding giant waves.
Although that realization did not stop him from getting back on the waves mere weeks
after the incident.
#4.
FIVE DIE IN NETHERLANDS When lockdown restrictions kept many surfers
apart, they could not wait to get back on the seas and enjoy their passion.
On the first night out, these experienced surfers went out to the sea despite rough
waters and seafoam.
Their blog post suggests they had considered going another time, but as classes had been
scheduled for, their students needed to test the waters themselves.
While on the waves, the wind and current suddenly changed, and with it came an avalanche of
algae foam.
The combination was terrible for their balance, even as coaches and experienced surfers.
The Dutch sea rescue service struggled to get them out because of the sea's conditions.
The surfing community of Scheveningen, Netherlands were hit the hardest by the news.
All-year-round they go out to the sea and enjoy the waves.
The sad part is that these people died doing something they do every day, have mastered,
and were teachers of.
The five were Joost Bakker, 30, Sander Dikken, 38, Pim Wuite, 24, Max Verheijen, 22, and
Mathijs van Dulst, 23.
They all had some community activities they were involved in, especially in helping children.
#3.
BODEGA BAY SHARK ATTACK
In October, a man was attacked at Salmon Creek Beach while enjoying his Sunday morning surfing.
The shark bit him on the thighs before members of his surfing group could get him to shore
for emergency response and then to a hospital.
The shark attacks on humans are not that rampant.
So far, only 69 shark attacks have been recorded, and seven of them were fatal.
There is evidence that five of those attacks were provoked.
The California Highway Patrol helicopter that arrived on the scene flew him to the hospital,
noting that the injuries were critical.
The chances of being attacked by a white shark while surfing in California is 1-in-17 million.
The last incident before this thirty-year-old man was bitten was in 2020.
A 12-feet shark bit 26-year-old Ben Kelly, a known surfer, and he died.
Ben Kelly's attack was recorded at the South of Santa Cruz, eight years after another fatal
shark happened in California.
This man survived, fortunately. #2.
VENTURA COUNTY ACCIDENT
A 51-year-old man was killed in March at Ventura County, according to the County medical examiner.
Gerald Gilhool Jr. was from Ojai, and he had come to Rincon Point Beach, on the Ventura-Santa
Barbara coastline.
Eyewitnesses at the crowded beach said that Gilhool rode the face of a big wave and accidentally
landed on another surfer who was rolling under the wave.
Other surfers quickly rushed the surfer to shore, and they attempted CPR until the emergency
medical responders arrived.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital, and the cause was given as head injuries.
The man he collided with was also sent to the hospital for injuries, including a cut
on his head.
Gilhool was a tour manager for a band called Dawes.
The band celebrated his life on their Instagram.
Mandy Moore, singer, and actress, also celebrated him for his hard work and being a devoted
father to his young son.
She is married to Taylor Goldsmith, who is a member of the band.
The fatal accident got the beach authorities to issue new safety guidelines.
#1.
OSCAR SERRA DEATH Oscar Serra's death shocked the surfing world.
The young surfer fell from a wave in Oaxaca, Mexico State, and did not make it.
The Spanish Surfing Federation announced this incident in a tweet.
They extended their condolences to the family and friends of Serra, who was 22.
The reports indicate that Serra fell from the wave 6 feet high and hit his head on the
ocean floor.
While the authorities at the beach indicated that the weather conditions were unfavorable,
surfers, including Serra, saw it as an opportunity to train on unfamiliar waters.
The area staff quickly rescued Serra after the incident, but the medical team could not
resuscitate him.
His partner, Aynara Aymat, was present at a local memorial and posted videos on Instagram
sharing how beautiful it was to say goodbye to him with the image of an incredible sunset.
She shared in her caption that although they are far away, she feels him very close.
The 22-year-olds death is one of the saddest things to happen to the surfing community
recently.
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