A group of surfers, lifeguards, and other concerned individuals recently gathered around American pro surfer Makai McNamara after he was knocked unconscious. McNamara was wiped out by a massive wave at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii, which is widely considered one of the world’s most dangerous surf breaks.
According to Island News, McNamara was a frequent Banzai Pipeline visitor and was hit by the large wave this past Sunday. The aforementioned group of responders helped McNamara reach safety on the shore.
Eli Olson, who also surfs professionally and is described as a friend of McNamara, said the ordeal was a “freak accident.”
“It was just a bad wave, kind of a freak accident, and he went headfirst into the reef,” Olson told Island News. He also described McNamara as “one of the best [surfers] out there.”
Olson estimated McNamara was underwater for two minutes before anyone was able to reach him. He also noted that responders attempted “CPR compressions” during the rescue.
“He was underwater for close to two minutes before I got to him. First thing, I just wanted to like keep his head above water, so he didn’t take more water in,” Olson said. “I gave him a couple [of] breaths. Try to give him a couple [of] compressions.”