Professional surfer Mikala Jones died this Sunday at the age of 44 after a training accident in the Mentawai Islands (Indonesia). As reported by Surfline, the Hawaiian surfer suffered an injury to the inside of his left groin, which would have caused a cut in the femoral artery and, consequently, a great loss of blood.
The Uruguayan surfer Santiago Pereira was present and has recounted what happened, as reported by the Duke website: "Jones put his GoPro in his mouth and began paddling with great energy to surf the second wave of a giant series. It was very big, three times his size... When he got out of the foam, several seconds later, he noticed that he had cut himself in the groin, so he decided to let go of the leash [the rope by means of which the surfer is keeps tied to the surfboard]".
"More waves came. He was able to pass them under, but without strength. We went looking for him. His nephew gave him his board and, when he got on top, he fainted. He was losing a lot of blood. We got him on the boat, we made a tourniquet for him with a leash and we squeezed him with a stick, while we grabbed his hands telling him not to fall asleep and to stay with us", explains Pereira.
"He was breathing. Every few minutes he tried to move and complained softly but intensely. We called for help. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the coast of Tuapejat where the ambulance was waiting for us. We got him off the boat. He was unconscious. We took him to the ambulance stretcher, we closed the doors and he went to the hospital but it was too late. Mikala had already left, more than 20 minutes before we put him on the boat. Mikala had already lost a lot of blood", concludes the Uruguayan surfer.
Members of the surfing community have offered their condolences on social media. "Very devastated to hear the news. Mikala, you were one of a kind," wrote Mick Fanning, a three-time world champion.
Other personalities such as photographer Brian Bielmann have also paid their respects. "Our friend Mikala Jones passed away yesterday in the Mentawai while surfing the waves he loved... I'm so sorry and I send prayers to his family," he explained in a photo he posted on Instagram.
Isabela Jones, the surfer's daughter, has also posted an image on Instagram where she has commented the following: "I wish you were here with us right now. I will always think of you. I love you so much and thank you for everything. Fly high, you are fucking legend".
Mikala Jones was a professional surfer from Hawaii who moved to Indonesia several years ago, where she experimented with dangerous waves. During his years as a surfer, he tried to reimagine the way he could be photographed and has been recognized for the countless photos and footage of him taken through GoPro cameras.
