Yikes...a fin where it shouldn't be
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:02 am
I had a similar event take place in 1991. I was standup surfing and just as I was gonna kick out, backwash hit and the lip pitched out. The board flipped around and shoved a thruster fin between my Achilles and bone. It had so much force that it went through my wetsuit and bootie(didnt even rip the wetsuit, complete stretch all the way through,freaky)into my skin through my muscle and barely out the other side. I hobbled into the beach after a weird feeling and peeling back my wetsuit and looking down at a freakish sight just above my ankle. It was a crazy gash that wasn't even bleeding yet. I was jumping on one leg and screaming for my friend to come in and help me. I ripped the arm off of my wetsuit and tied a tournicate as it started gushing blood. My bootie filled up and it looked like a massacre just occurred on the street. My friend drove me to Scripps ER, and some snooty biotch at the counter said that we couldn't park there, then that the wheelchair was reserved. I jumped out of the car, hopped in, threw my leg up on her counter, took off my tourniquet, gushed blood all over her counter, paperwork and everything, and told her to get me into the ER immediately(All in a real calm loving voice of course,HAHAHAHA). Wouldn't ya know it, but I made it to the front of the line. I was luckier as I didn't sever my achilles, and it healed up to 110% with time, leaving a cool scar and a lame memory. I just thought I would share this experience. The silver lining was great uncrowded sick barrels on a really cool not usually ridden reef behind some houses in La Jolla. I hope that you have since healed up 100% as well. Good ol battle scars!
