HOW SURFER CAME TO THE AID OF WIPEOUT VICTIM
ASURFER has described the moment he came to the aid of another wave-rider who broke his back in what has been described as the “heaviest” wipeout caught on camera.
Glyn Ovens 38, was surfing in Nazare, Portugal, where the largest wave ever ridden was recorded in 2013.
The town is known for its huge waves due to the underwater Nazare Canyon which creates interference between incoming swell waves and causes high breaking waves.
Surfer Andrew Cotton had to be rescued from the water in Nazare on Wednesday after coming off his board while riding a huge wave.
Glyn, whose company Water Safety UK specialises in surf safety, described seeing the incident which left Andrew with a broken back.
Glyn, from Aberystwyth, said: “We were surfing and doing safety with lots of athletes and we were on the beach watching a guy going on the wave.
“You have to avoid the lip which can be pretty bad.
“We saw a guy with a little bit of indecision who tried to get inside the crest but ended up in the wrong place and got beat up.
“We thought that it was going to hurt and wouldn’t have been great. A guy tried to bring him in on the jet ski and he got washed up on the beach. “I knew Andrew really well and I spoke a little Portuguese so I ran on the beach and went to check he was OK. “I do a lot of medical safety stuff so we tried to get him out of the water – we had to make sure he didn’t get dragged back in. “The boogie board had been ripped off so we used that as a makeshift spinal board as he was saying he had back pain and pain shooting down his leg. “He was immobilised and losing consciousness all the time and was in a lot of pain. “We worked with the lifeguards and paramedics and took him 200m up the beach. “We had to cut off his wetsuit because it was keeping him cold and wet and got him all wrapped up. “Spinal injury mobilisation is key so we got a neck brace on to support him and stop him from moving.” Andrew, 36, was taken to hospital and later thanked well-wishers and fans on media from his hospital bed.
He described the incident as the “worst wipeout” of his life and revealed he had broken his back but he said he would be focusing his energy to get fit and get back out there for “more big rollers”.
Glyn said he felt empathy for Andrew’s predicament, having suffered with a neck injury and was pleased to see he was making a good recovery.
He added: “Luckily it was only a fracture and just needs a bit of a rest and recovery.
“It’s a brutal sport and as you get older it takes longer to bounce back. He seems fine and is fiercely determined so he’ll get back on the board and get back out there.
“It looked really dramatic with him being thrown around but it’s the luck of the draw.
“In Nazare the main dangers are the crest of the wave breaking you or drowning because they force you social deep. Where the water is shallow you can hit the bottom and get caught that way.
“People can suffer injuries through contact with the board. Unfortunately you do get worse blood and head injuries.
“We had a guy who was hit by his board and was knocked unconscious and his head was hit by four waves.”
Referring to one of the worst surfing accidents he had been involved with, Glyn said he nearly drowned when surfing in Cornwall.
He said: “I spent a lot of time exploring waves in Cornwall and there was an occasion where we didn’t have enough safety gear. We were surfing near a slab of rock out to sea and I fell on an innocuous wave when something hit me on the head.
“I got pushed down really deep and I was consciously aware I was losing consciousness. I was trying to battle to keep my consciousness.
“Because my mind was occupied I wasn’t aware how long I was under- water. The people I was with were quite concerned and trying to find me. I came up and thought I was OK but I breathed in a lot of foam which went into my lungs and I was choking. That was one of the scariest moments.
“I was out of the water for three months but I just got back on the bike slowly making time to get comfortable again, learn from it and move forward.”
Speaking about the nature of extreme surfing, Glyn described it as like “climbing Everest”.
He added: “You can’t do it alone – we have to have a team and built in redundancies for when something like that happens. If you roll the dice enough times you will get caught.
“I’ve been extreme surfing for about 10 to 15 years and I have been travelling because Mid Wales is not known for its big waves. I started travelling in Hawaii, Australia, Ireland and Portugal as well. You don’t have to go much further afield than Europe – you don’t have to go to California any more.
“It’s about pushing yourself and managing fear I suppose. Sometimes the fear can get the better of you and you can’t go on a surf because you’re too afraid.
“Other times you build up to it and when it does come together it’s satisfying.
“It’s a team effort and community, and in other surfing you don’t have that.
“Being part of a team and surfing, which tends to be a single sport, is something very special and share memories with your friends. I feel blessed to be out there on these grand occasions and huge waves. It gives you a lot of adrenalin and it’s good fun.”