Brian Hart is in the hospital recovering from a range of injuries after an accident at Steamer Lane in mid-July. Image: GoFundMe
At around 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 14th, Brian Hart nearly died at Steamer Lane. According to a fundraiser, his injuries are more similar to those that would be sustained in a car wreck-like than a surfing accident: “a deep laceration on the left side of his head, a broken neck, a broken collarbone, multiple broken ribs, a broken lower back, lacerations to his legs and a broken ankle.” Immediately after the accident, he had no feeling below his neck, thought to be caused by the swelling between his C3 and C4 vertebrae.
Hart, who is 53, was one of about a dozen surfers at Santa Cruz’s iconic Steamer Lane on Saturday afternoon. A small south swell was in the water, which, according to Nat Young, forces surfers to take off close to the cliff when the tide is high. “That’s when it’s the most dangerous,” Young told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “When there’s a south swell and it’s high tide, it comes in at an angle. The Lane’s the most dangerous when it isn’t that big.”
As a set wave approached, Hart paddled for it, then pulled back as another surfer was deeper. The wave, however, swept him into the cliffs. Soon after, the entire lineup realized he was injured, paddled over to him, and got him on a surfboard that would be used to lift him from the water. “I’ve definitely seen a few people I know hit the cliff and have some serious injuries,” Young continued, “but this might be the worst I’ve heard about there.”
Hart’s son Santiago, who is an up-and-comer in the Santa Cruz surf scene and is on the WSL Men’s Junior Tour, was on the scene when the accident happened. He had just exited the water when his mother told him that his father was hurt. When he rushed down to the water, he realized just how bad it was. “I just never have seen anyone like that with no life in them,” Santiago told said. “He had no color in his face. He had no heartbeat, no pulse. He wasn’t breathing.” After performing CPR, the 53-year-old began to regain some color.
Now, Hart is in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Thankfully, he has started to regain some feeling, but his hands and feet are still numb. On Monday, he was able to blink his eyes to communicate, but the road to recovery will be a long one. Merritt Hays and Janae Sandman, who are friends of the Hart family, set up a crowdfunding campaign to help. Hart is a self-employed wood floor contractor and is unable to work. The community is responding—as of July 17th, nearly $32,000 of the goal of $40,000 has been raised.
“Literally every penny helps,” wrote Santiago on Instagram. “My dad is such a big part of my life and it’s extremely hard to see him in such a weak state fighting to live. I’m trying to think that God did this for a reason but can only find myself angry that this had to happen to him.”
