Teenage surf photographer Byron Mcloughlin, of North Curl Curl, chased the swell of a lifetime to the Olympic venue of Teahupo’o. He is lucky to be alive after the biggest wipeout of his life.
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.″I was dead. Apparently I rolled over and my lips were blue, my eyes were closed. And I was... yeah, I was dead.Nineteen-year-old surf photographer Byron Mcloughlin is back in Australia, at home in North Curl Curl with his feet firmly on terra firma again.
, a fortnight ago in pursuit of a swell that would most certainly be considered beyond the abilities of many of the incoming Olympic surfers. Crucially, he went without an inflatable vest, worn by big-wave surfers and photographers to ensure they float to the surface in big hold-downs.But he still scored. He was the only photographer in the water as a storm front rolled in and professional surfers Leo Fioravanti and Zeke Lau went to work in waves pushing eight to 10 feet, before more photographers and surfers realised “Chopes was pumping”.
“Then this wave grew out of nowhere. I could see the boats driving away and all the other photographers were scrambling and screaming in excitement and fear.“They all ducked under really early and so did I. But I forgot I still had the leash of my inflatable board attached to my biceps. I dove under as deep as I could, took a deep breath and thought I had made it under the wave.
“But I had copped my wipeout and was OK and I just wanted to get back to the channel because I knew the swell was cranking up. This is what I had come to Tahiti for.”Mcloughlin’s re-telling of the story pauses shortly after this point. Tokyo Olympic surfer Michel Bourez picked him up on a jet ski, asked Mcloughlin how he was and took him back out to the line-up.
“I turned you around onto your stomach, and I held you while we boosted to the shore. On the way there, you were so pale and white and looked dead.“Then when I put my ear next to you, I could hear you making noises with your mouth. You were hardly breathing. I kept saying, ‘stay with me, my friend. Stay with me’.
Doctors told him he had suffered a secondary drowning. Salt water taken on while underwater had prevented oxygen reaching critical organs like Mcloughlin’s heart and brain.“It looked like popcorn, like a popcorn lung. Or if you poured salt water onto a motherboard or a computer, it was like it had been eaten away, my lungs just looked corroded.“Because I had so much salt water in my lungs, it completely blocked any oxygen coming through to my organs.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Shortly after taking this photo at Teahupo’o, Byron was face-down, blue and drowningTeenage surf photographer Byron Mcloughlin, of North Curl Curl, chased the swell of a lifetime to the Olympic venue of Teahupo’o. He is lucky to be alive after the biggest wipeout of his life.
Read more »
Surge in new hotels as crackdown on Airbnbs in Byron loomsA new home-away-from home has opened in Byron as the impact of new caps on short-term rentals in the Byron tourism hotspot are about to be felt.
Read more »
Surge in new hotels as crackdown on Airbnbs in Byron loomsA new home-away-from home has opened in Byron as the impact of new caps on short-term rentals in the Byron tourism hotspot are about to be felt.
Read more »
Surge in new hotels as crackdown on Airbnbs in Byron loomsA new home-away-from home has opened in Byron as the impact of new caps on short-term rentals in the Byron tourism hotspot are about to be felt.
Read more »
Smart watch helps save swimmer's life in rough seas off Byron BayTreading water in rough seas 1 kilometre offshore, Rick Shearman used his smart watch to call triple-0.
Read more »
Murder probe launched after woman’s body found at home near Byron Bay7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »