Friends are more important than winning. Photos: IG//Screenshot
Gabriel Klaussner, a Brazilian up-and-comer who recently snagged a wildcard into the Rio Pro, found himself in a near-death situation while surfing in the the Tunel Crew Shootout in Itacoatiara, Brazil. Thankfully, his competitors put winning aside to save him.
Footage shot from the beach shows Klaussner as he attempts to drop into a wave, only to land hard on the side of his head in the trough. It doesn’t appear to be all that bad, until he resurfaces, clearly in a confused state. According to reports, that was because he injured his eardrum and couldn’t tell which was up and which was down.
In a moment that shows humanity can transcend competition, Weslley Dantas, Valentin Neves, and Pedro Barbosa realized something was wrong and came to his rescue. Dantas got to him first, looped his arms around Klaussner’s body, and held him upright until more help arrived. Pedro Calado, Cauã Costa, and Vitor Ferreira, as well as a local lifeguard, managed to get to them and got Klaussner safely to the sand.
“It was a tense moment, and thankfully Gabriel Klaussner is okay!” wrote Tunel Crew on Instagram. “The athletes competing in the heat were incredibly supportive and stopped immediately to help Gabriel, along with the rescue team! Everyone’s well-being comes first! Thanks, everyone. Unfortunately, it happens and it’s part of life. We practice a sport that’s directly related to the waves, and the Itacoatiara wave is a pretty heavy one. It was nothing more than a scare!”
View this post on Instagram
