A big-wave surfer considers himself fortunate to be alive after narrowly escaping a colossal wipeout at a notoriously perilous surf spot in Tasmania. Mikey Brennan was riding the waves at Shipstern Bluff, a remote and challenging wave that requires either a 30km jetski journey or a two-hour hike to reach, when he was engulfed by the massive waves off the Tasman Peninsula coastline.
The 38-year-old, who is well-acquainted with the location known as “Shippies” – and the potential for severe wipeouts – was towed onto the wave by a jetski before losing control and being swallowed by the crashing wave. “I’m astonished I’m still here,” Brennan told the Mercury.
Brennan, who sustained bruised ribs and a minor concussion, expressed gratitude for the safety measures in place after he was rescued from the water and transported to a jetski. “I vaguely recall the wave, like approaching it and then hitting the large step, which felt enormous, like one of those monumental moments,” he said. “I just went down really hard. I couldn’t manage to stick the landing.”
He mentioned having little memory of the moment he went under and was disoriented when he resurfaced and was rescued, before being taken to Royal Hobart hospital for scans. “I basically just had bruised ribs. Nothing was broken,” he said. “They conducted a CT scan and checked everything, and then I was with the trauma team who examined me thoroughly. I’ve had a severe headache, a minor concussion, so I consider myself quite lucky.”
This isn’t the first time Brennan has faced death in the water – in 2010, he fractured his back while surfing another hazardous wave at Governor Island. “To be honest, the Shipstern wipeout was the closest to death because even when I broke my back at Governor, I was conscious the entire time. It was equally dangerous, but this was just being knocked out and losing consciousness. I can’t really describe it.”
Despite his experience, Brennan pledged to return to the water. “I adore the ocean,” he said. “I was pushing my limits. I knew I was challenging my fear and I guess you have to be willing to enter that zone, and that’s what I did.”
