A GRUESOME surf injury that resulted in 13 head staples has left Penny Andrews shaken, angry and calling for surfers to follow the rules.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve surfed at Point Impossible (Possos) for a couple of years and in that time I\u2019ve had a couple of similar run-ins where someone has taken off on a wave when you\u2019re right in front of them,\u201d Ms Andrews said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s often people who will drop in or snake (when someone comes in behind you) when you\u2019re already on the wave. I\u2019ve notice over the last 12 months there\u2019s been a big change especially during the holidays, it\u2019s really busy and a lot of disrespectful people are out in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two weekends ago, Ms Andrews was hit by another surfer while in the water at the point break.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could see his face, its unusual behaviour as 99 out of 100 others wouldn\u2019t take off if there\u2019s someone right in front of them but he did,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI Eskimo rolled but he\u2019s hit my arm at full force and my head, the doctors said my arm has stopped
\nhim from fracturing my skull. It was a fight or flight moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Andrews was able to get out of the water with assistance where friends administered first aid until her brother, a paramedic, took her to the hospital for treatment and a CT scan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe worst thing is I confronted the person who did this and he was not apologetic, he didn\u2019t think he\u2019d done anything wrong or apologise. I was covered in blood and showed him my injury and he was so defensive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At only 50 kilos and 160cm tall, Ms Andrews said for a man close to six foot and 100 kilos to have hit her with full force, she\u2019s grateful to walk away with only staples.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone that goes out to surf should know the rules, if you don\u2019t there\u2019s a rule book online at Surfing Victoria, or you can ask other surfers or surf clubs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should know the rules and if they don\u2019t, they shouldn\u2019t be in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A GRUESOME surf injury that resulted in 13 head staples has left Penny Andrews shaken, angry and calling for surfers to follow the rules. \u201cI\u2019ve surfed at Point Impossible (Possos) for a couple of years and in that time I\u2019ve had a couple of similar run-ins where someone has taken off on a wave when […]<\/p>\n