Shipstern's smackdown sends Zawadzki to hospital

Big Wave Updates

Alex Zawadzki in stable condition after

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 May, 2012 : - - Alex Zawadzki was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital after a death-defying wipeout at Shipstern Bluff yesterday. Alex took on the 10-metre waves yesterday morning but fell foul on one of the biggest waves of the day. 'I was trying to get down the face, but the water was being sucked up so fast that it was pushing my board in all sorts of directions,' said Mr Zawadzki, who was in a stable condition in hospital last night.

The 25-year-old ended up losing control of his ride, being engulfed in the lip of the wave and pile-driven into three metres of flat water. "I went over in a position like I was sitting in a car seat, but when I hit the water everything exploded and my legs got ripped into the splits and backwards," Mr Zawadzki said.  "I knew straight away that something was wrong, the pain in my legs was excruciating."

Due to bad mobile phone reception, the Westpac helicopter rescue paramedics were unable to determine if Mr Zawadzki's injuries involved his pelvis or spinal chord, ruling out a sea rescue.  A boat on the scene transported him to Nubeena to meet the rescue helicopter.

Read the full article at The Mercury

Source: The Mercury

Author: Andrew Chrisholm

Tags: Alex Zawadzki, Shipsterns, Andrew Chrisholm, Wipeouts

Big Wave: Surfersvillage