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Near-Fatal Accident Leaves 16-Year Old Schoolgirl in Serious Condition After Being Airlifted to the Hospital

ByPriya Hinduja

Mar 9, 2023 | 1:11 PM EST

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While surfing on the waves can provide solace, the waves can also be cruel. Recent news of a 16-year-old young school girl, who could have drowned while surfing, once again proved this fact. As per reports, the girl was a student of Reynella East college in South Australia who was taking surfing lessons at Middleton beach with other students. Middleton in South Australia is a seaside town, which is an hour’s distance from Adelaide by car and is situated between the towns of Port Elliot and Goolwa. The girl was surfing with a group of 12-year-olds for surfing lessons. A Twitter post by the newsfeed 9News Adelaide disclosed all details about the entire incident.

With this, 9News Adelaide also provided a video of the girl’s daring rescue. Describing what action the school had taken, 9News Media related how the young girl’s condition was still critical. All the details of this airlift rescue that forced the surfing community to take notice are finally revealed.

A deadly surfing incident that caused alarm

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The 9News Adelaide reporter elaborated, “Emergency crews were called to the beach after a 16-year-old girl from Reynella East College got into trouble in the surf at around 11:30 this morning.” This incident took place on 8th March 2023.

Further, the reporter stated, “Paramedics performed CPR on the sand before she was stabilized and carried to a waiting helicopter, then flown to the Royal Adelaide.” The Royal Adelaide is a hospital in South Australia, reportedly the largest hospital, located on Port Road.

A school student on a surfing excursion has been airlifted to Adelaide after nearly drowning at Middleton. #9News pic.twitter.com/kbRnlqnxtR
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) March 8, 2023

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Afterwards, the reporter related, “The school says it’s offering counseling and support to students and staff.” This is not the first fatal incident of a person who almost drowned while surfing. In 2019, a surfer named Salvador Villas-Boas met the same fate. A video shared by Pedro Miranda captures his thrilling rescue.

Salvador Villas-Boas’s unforgettable rescue by a daring Samaritan

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Surfing in Portugal in the town of Nazare, suddenly, Villas-Boas suffered a mishap. While surfing on a big wave, the veteran surfer lost his balance, falling into the waters. At that time, luckily, a brave jet skier named Ramon Laureano noticed him, performing a courageous rescue.

With difficulty, Laureano then managed to get Salvador on his jet safely. However, their struggles were not over yet. A massive 100-foot wave came towards them with lightning speed and struck them. Surviving the gigantic wave’s impact, the two traversed the waves, the foam making it more difficult for them to see the shore. However, fortunately, they were able to survive the cruel waves and finally reached land.

Watch This Story: 51-Year-Old Legend Kelly Slater Gets Candid About The Toughest Moments in His Surfing Career

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The 16-year-old girl and Salvador Villas-Boas’s incidents point out how a passion for surfing can have life-threatening consequences. What precautions do you think can be taken to prevent such untoward incidents? Share your suggestions in the comments section.