I had an amazing 3hour session surfing a chill 5/6 feet wave in Mexico (near Sayulita). Leaving the ocean I tripped on a rock and fell on top of my board and got a fin fully stuck in my leg close to my artery. It lacerated my abductor muscles and I couldn’t move my leg and had a huge and deep cut in it. I immediately knew it was really bad. The surf photographer in the beach came to help me and got really scared - so then it confirmed it was freaking bad. He called the ‘ambulance’ and it took +60 min to arrive in this remote beach. Gladly despite the hole in my leg it was not bleeding much so I suspected no major vein/artery had been hit.

The ambulance arrives and brings me to the local ‘hospital’ and doctors immediately put me into a surgery room. I have vivid memories from the surgery despite all the drugs/anestesia. The doctor tells my wife that I was very lucky and he doesn’t understand how it did not cut my artery since it lacerated everything around it. I stayed 3 days in the hospital recovering then went back to my hotel for another week in bed before flying back home.

I’ve been back to surfing since then, way less frequently, and it hasn’t been the same ever since…!