A group of surfers, lifeguards and other worried individuals recently gathered around the American professional surfer Makai McNamara after he was unconscious. McNamara was annihilated by a massive wave in the Banzai pipeline in Hawaii, which is widely considered one of the most dangerous surf ruptures in the world.
According to Island News, McNamara was a frequent visitor to Banzai pipes and was beaten by the great wave last Sunday. The aforementioned group of responders helped McNamara achieve security on the shore.
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Hawaian professional surfer Makai McNamara is erased while riding a wave on the pipe on the northern coast of Oahu, Hawaii, on February 14, 2021. (Brian Bielmann/AFP through Getty Images)
Eli Olson, who also sails professionally and is described as a friend of McNamara, said that terrible experience was a “strange accident.”
“It was just a bad wave, a kind of strange accident, and went heading to the reef,” Olson told Island News. He also described McNamara as “one of the best [surfers] out there “.
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Olson estimated that Mcnamara was underwater for two minutes before someone could communicate with him. He also noted that the responders tried “RCP compressions” during rescue.
“It was underwater for almost two minutes before arriving at him. The first thing, I just wanted to keep my head out of the water so that he would not drink water,” said Olson. “I gave him a couple [of] breaths. Try to give it a couple [of] compressions “.
He added: “We are being run over by the waves here. We are recycling in the waves and then we got it in life first, we made another round of RCP compressions, and began to cough water.”
Makai McNamara of Hawaii prepares for its heat of Round 2 at the Hawaiian Pro 2019 in Haleiwa on November 17, 2019 in Hi, USA. (Tony Heff/WSL through Getty Images)
McNamara was able to regain consciousness when “he brought him back to life,” Surfer said. Later, McNamara was transported to a local hospital where medical staff placed him in an induced coma for three days.
McNamara’s father, Liam, provided an update on the status of his son 24 hours after the heartbreaking incident.
“They have spent 24 hours since the incident, and is on their way to recovery,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “Feel your energy. Feel your love. Feel your positive vibrations, and we appreciate each and every one of you for your support.”
The American surfer Makai McNamara riding a wave in Banzai Pipeline in Haleiwa, Oahu’s North Shore, Hawaii, on November 25, 2023. (Brian Bielmann/AFP through Getty Images)
“I thank the lifeguards and everyone who helped, so many people. Thank you very much for helping to save my son,” Liam continued.
“The next two days will be here in the hospital, and we only need continuous prayers and positive energy,” he added. “Makai is a strong young man, and he will overcome this.”
Meanwhile, Olson described the rescue as a “team effort” and expressed his hopes that McNamara does a “complete recovery.”
“All that matters is that Makai recovers completely and we can laugh and share waves with him soon,” said Olson through Instagram stories.
