Two days before he chases his fourth world title, Mick Fanning has helped rescue a fellow surfer who was hurt in a wipeout at Hawaii’s North Shore.
Evan Geiselman was unconscious when a South African bodyboarder reached him and Fanning, who was on the beach, paddled out to help local lifeguards as they brought the American to shore.
“Evan Geiselman is currently in stable condition after suffering a very serious wipeout at Pipeline today,” Globe surf team manager Eric Tomlinson said in a statement provided to The Inertia website.
“After being engulfed by a 15-foot double-up, Evan failed to come to the surface and subsequently suffered a three-wave hold down. South African bodyboarder Andre Botha eventually found him unconscious and began to attempt rescue breathing while swimming him to shore.
“In the heavy shorebreak they were met by lifeguards, as well as surfers Mick Fanning, Danny Fuller, Kalani Chapman, Brian Toth and a handful of others.
“After expelling copious amounts of water Evan regained consciousness. Paramedics continued to work on him in the beach park where he was eventually loaded up into an ambulance and taken to Queens Hospital.
“Because of the heroic efforts of everyone that came to Evan’s aid he is expected to recover from this near tragedy.”
The incident happened at Pipeline, two days before the famous beach hosts the last round of the World Surf League. The Pipeline Masters will decide whether Fanning wins a fourth world crown.
The Australian leads a tight championship race, with five other surfers in contention.
It has been a tumultuous year for Fanning – in July, he was competing in the final of the WSL event at South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay when a shark attacked him.
Fanning punched the shark, scaring it off, as compatriot and fellow finalist Julian Wilson paddled over to help.
Also on Sunday, Australian big wave surfer Mark Mathews was taken to hospital with an injured shoulder after a big wipeout before his opening round heat of the WSL’s Big Wave Tour event at the Maui break of Jaws.
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