HEALTH'Wrecked' Surfer Bethany Hamilton Is 'Hopeful' After Her 3-Year-Old Nephew Drowned in Scary Incident
Surfer Bethany Hamilton begs for 'help' after her 3-year-old nephew drowned in scary incident.
Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton took to Instagram on October 12, making a heartfelt plea for assistance after her 3-year-old nephew Andrew was involved in a scary incident.
The young boy was airlifted to Kapiolani Medical Center in Oahu after drowning the previous night and remains in critical condition.
Bethany Hamilton said her drowned nephew 'still has a heartbeat and has fight in him.'
"HELP," the 34-year-old surfer wrote, sharing an image of her nephew carrying a surfboard. "My precious nephew was medivaced to Kapiolani in Oahu this morning after drowning last night. He still has a heartbeat and has fight in him."
"We are wrecked," she continued. "I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival, and in this case, we’re asking for help from anyone who has information of what we can do to give my nephew the best chance."
Bethany Hamilton said she 'was not planning on posting about Andrew's incident,' however, she knew she could get more help by doing so.
In another Instagram Story, Hamilton expressed why she decided to speak out on social media.
"I was not planning on posting about Andrew's incident. I didn't want to go to public in the first place, but I knew that it could potentially help him by getting more support and receiving more knowledge/ help around what he's going through and it certainly has been a blessing. Thank you ..." she noted.
She later shared a brief update about the situation, writing, "We are hopeful. Thank you for your prayers and support. We are in contact with many helpful individuals. We trust that God has Andrew in his hands."
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Hamilton, who gained global recognition after surviving a shark attack at age 13, is no stranger to fighting through difficult circumstances.
Later this month, the athlete will mark the 21st anniversary of the attack that led to her left arm being traumatically amputated to the shoulder on October 31.
Remarkably, just under a month later, on November 26, 2003, she was back in the water, learning to surf with one arm.
Reflecting on her journey, Hamilton noted on her website, "My comeback story received lots of publicity this year. I was featured on many news outlets and media interviews and received the MTV 'Teen Choice Award' for courage. My bestselling autobiography Soul Surfer was also released!"
Bethany Hamilton's arm was bitten by a shark in 2003.
Her resilience didn't stop there. At age 15, she won the U.S. National under-18 surf championships, a moment that solidified her place in the sport.
"I also visited Thailand with World Vision and helped the orphans enjoy the ocean for the first time since the Tsunami," she shared.
The surfer shares four kids with her husband, Adam Kirks.
These days, the surfer has her hands full, as she shares four kids with her husband, Adam Kirks. After having three boys, the couple welcomed their baby girl in 2023.
“I celebrated 20 years of overcoming! Our fourth child – a girl! – was born. Alaya completely stole all our hearts. The ‘Ohana Experience continued to grow and I did more traveling for speaking events,” she wrote, referring to a mentorship program she offers for mothers and daughters.
