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Nathan Bartlett has passed away. The Australian underground big wave surfer died while surfing at Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales. He was 43 years old.
On Wednesday, afternoon, Bartlett was surfing with his 38-year-old brother Byron off the Cape St. George Lighthouse at Jervis Bay. As 7news reports, Around 2:00 p.m., the pair were seen in distress in the water. Emergency services responded and pulled both men from the surf. Nathan was unresponsive and could not be revived. His younger brother was assessed by paramedics at the scene as a precaution.
A GoFundMe started by the Maritime Union of Australia described Bartlett as, “A deeply respected seafarer and South Coast surfer, father, husband, brother, and one of Australian surfing’s great underground chargers.”
Bartlett had brushed with death once before in his career. Back in 2017, he survived a nearly fatal wipeout at Indonesia’s Desert Point. After missing a late drop, he was knocked unconscious on the reef and split his face open. Three nearby Brazilians were able to retrieve his unconscious body and take him to shore, while performing life-saving measures.
Bartlett is survived by his wife and two children.
