Victor Bernardo and wife, Johnni, were reportedly involved in a near-fatal car crash on August 16, 2026.
Brazilian freesurfer Victor Bernardo and his wife, Johnni, were reportedly in a near-fatal car crash. According to filmmaker Logan Dulien, the crash happened on August 16, with Victor being airlifted to a hospital and Johnni taken by ambulance. Dulien shared the news via social media — the first report of any kind involving the accident. Sources tell us the the accident occurred in Southern California. There was no further information available and we will update as we learn more.
“Please keep @victorbernard0 and his wife @jbuff9 in your prayers,” Dulien wrote. “On Sunday night they were in a very serious car accident that easily could have been fatal, but by the grace of god are still with us. Victor was airlifted to the hospital, and his wife Johnni, was taken in by ambulance. They are currently both still in the hospital, preparing Victor for surgery and doing (their) best to improve his wife’s condition. It’s going to be a very long and expensive road to recovery, but I’m confident the surf community will rally together to support and uplift them on the challenging journey ahead. For now, just put out positive thoughts, love, prayers, and healing energy for them both.”
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The 28-year-old Bernardo doesn’t have an extensive competitive resumé on the Qualifying or Challenger Series, instead carving out a place for himself as one of today’s standout freesurfers. The Four Seasons Maldives announced just last month that Bernardo had been invited to the 2026 Surfing Champions Trophy, applauding his unique style and range using different boards.
“What I’m most excited about is bringing my mum on her first international trip, enjoying our time together and having fun,” he had said about having the chance to compete in the one-of-a-kind event.
Everybody will be pulling for the couple to fully recover now. And no doubt we are, at the very least, relieved to hear that they survived an accident that could have been fatal.
