Big-wave surfer Tom Lowe was hospitalized following a wipeout at Teahupo’o, Tahiti.
The incident went down Friday, April 28th during the first significant swell of the South Pacific season. Lowe scrapped into a wave, got pitched on the takeoff, and catapulted headfirst to the bottom. As a result, he suffered a punctured lung and five broken ribs.
Lowe was transported to the hospital, where he will be recovering from the harrowing wipeout, per reports from Surfline (who covered the swell live; you can watch the wave, and hear some words from Lowe, above.)
“It was a rough day,” Lowe told Surfline. “But I’m in one piece and I’ll be back, reborn and fighting fit.”
The wipeout was vicious, no doubt. And in the following days, the swell only got bigger and gnarlier – stay tuned as the clips, carnage, and glory begin to pour in.
As for Lowe, he appears in good spirits despite the circumstances.
Per a post on the ‘gram, with an image of Tom in the hospital, Dom Walsh wrote:
“if i could please ask you take 1 minute of your day and go within and send some healing energy to my friend Tom who got a serious injury yesterday surfing teahupoo and almost lost his life. If you know Tom you will know he’s one of the most humble, friendly of souls you’ll come across. Also if you send him a message I’m sure it would lift his spirits and he’d appreciate greatly.”
Here’s to a speedy recovery for this big-wave legend; and keep an eye out for more Chopes content to come.
Teahupo’o, Tahiti Stats/Info
Wave Type: Lefthand slab
Season: Spring – Fall
Skill Level: Experts only
Ideal Swell Direction: South, Southwest
Access: By boat
Upcoming Events: Shiseido Tahiti Pro (August 11th-20th); Paris 2024 Olympics (July 26th-August 11th, 2024)
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