Angelo Faraire and Ryan Craig taking Byron Mcloughlin to safety. Photo: Tim McKenna
Australian surf photographer Byron Mcloughlin was rescued from Teahupo’o lineup Thursday. After losing consciousness, the 19-year-old was pulled from the water and taken to the hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma.
The first indication of trouble came when Mcloughlin was swept into the nearby lagoon by the day’s heavy, eight-foot surf. According to an Instagram story from fellow photographer Tim McKenna, after Byron was knocked into the lagoon by a big set, former professional surfer Michel Bourez picked him up and brought him back to the lineup.
Thirty minutes later, Mcloughlin went unconscious “for no apparent reason,” according to McKenna. As the Daily Mail reports, when others in the water realized what was happening and flipped the teenager over, his lips were blue and he was foaming at the mouth. A photo from McKenna shows surfer Angelo Faraire and photographer Ryan Craig taking Mcloughlin to safety, after which he was rushed to a hospital and placed in a medically induced coma.
Luckily, Byron seems to be on the mend. By Friday morning, he had recovered enough to post about the experience on social media. “I don’t remember much but I’m very grateful for everyone around me who were there on the scene and acted fast,” he wrote. According to McKenna, Byron is currently at the Papeete Hospital and “doing well.”
This was not the teenager’s first rescue in the water. Two years ago, Mcloughlin found himself in another life-threatening situation while filming in Padang Padang, Bali. That time, a set wave rocked the young photographer at the end of a marathon six-hour session, leaving him exhausted and finless in the impact zone. Luckily, as in Tahiti, two surfers came to his aid and brought him back to shore.
