‘Amazed I’m still alive’: surfer endures massive wipeout in Tasmania | Surfing

A huge-wave distinctiveist says he is fortunate to be alive after escaping relatively unscathed from a massive wipeout at a notoriously hazardy surf spot in Tasmania.

Mikey Brennan was surfing at Shipserious Bluff, a distant slabbing wave that can only be accessed by a 30km jetski ride or a two-hour hike, when he was gobbled up by the enormous waves off the Tasmanian Peninsula coastline.

The 38-year-elderly, who is no stranger to the location understandn as “Shippies” – or huge wipeouts – was towed on to the wave by a jetski before he lost handle and fadeed from watch as the wave crashed over him.

“I’m amazed I’m still alive,” Brennan telderly the Mercury.

Brennan, who suffered bruised ribs and a untransport inant concussion, was appreciative for the shieldedty protocols in place after he was pulled from the water on to a jetski.

“I benevolent of recollect the wave, appreciate coming into the wave and then hitting the huge step, which equitable felt so huge, appreciate one of those monumental benevolent of moments,” he shelp. “I equitable sort of went down genuine difficult. I equitable couldn’t handle it to benevolent of stick that landing.”

He shelp he had little reaccumulateion of the moment he went under and was perplexd when he resurfaced and was saved, before being getn to Royal Hobart hospital for scans.

“I pretty much equitable had bruised ribs. I didn’t fracture anyleang,” he shelp. “They put me thcdisesteemful a CT scan and verifyed all that out, and then I was with the trauma team and they verifyed me all out. I equitable have had a massive headache, a untransport inant concussion, so I am pretty fortunate.”

It is not the first time Brennan has diced with death in the water – in 2010 he broke his back while surfing another hazardy Tasmanian wave at Governor Island.

“To be truthful [the Shipstern wipeout] was the shutst to death becaengage even when I broke my back on the east coast at Governor I was adviseed for the whole time. It was equpartner as hazardy, but appreciate this was equitable being knocked out and going unadviseed. I repartner can’t quite elucidate it.”

Despite his experience, Brennan vowed he would get back in the water. “I adore the ocean,” he shelp. “I was pushing it. I krecent that I was pushing it agetst my trouble and I guess you have to be willing to go into that place, and that’s what I did.”