Brave young surfer experiences ‘worst nightmare’ after horror accident on the beach

A heartbroken surfer who suffered a broken spine and ribs and a collapsed lung after being speared into a sandbar earlier this month has vowed to one day walk again, no matter how long the journey takes.

New Zealander Johnny Konings, who lives on the Gold Coast with his partner Charlotte Gordon, almost died in the first wave of the day during the unusual wipe-out at Duranbah Beach – on the New South Wales-Queensland border – last Tuesday. The 31-year-old is now paralysed from the waist down and doctors say he may never walk again, but Konings is determined to prove them wrong.

The newly engaged couple will have to spend up to six months in the spinal unit at Brisbane Hospital and Konings’ recovery is expected to be long and difficult. Gordon said “life as we knew it” had “changed in an instant” following the freak accident, which ironically happened at Konings’ “favourite surf spot on the Gold Coast”.

Three to six months in hospital for surfer from New Zealand

Speaking from his wheelchair, Konings told the media that he “knew immediately” that something was very wrong after he fell off his board. In tears, the 31-year-old described the horrific ordeal as “like the worst nightmare” come true.

But he vows to walk again one day. “I’m up for the challenge – I’m determined to get back on my feet,” he told 7 News.

“The mental challenges are becoming the most difficult,” he said, praising the spectators who came together to save his life.

“They all worked together to get me out of the water safely,” he recalled. “It was just incredible.” Gordon said she was grateful he was “alive” under the circumstances. “It’s such a miracle – we’re so lucky,” she said.

Couple vows to stay positive despite unimaginable crisis

Gordon has since launched a fundraiser to help cover the costs of Koning’s long road to recovery. “When life gives you lemons, throw in some lime, salt and a shit ton of tequila and make one hell of a strong margarita,” she wrote, adding that her partner’s recovery will be “the greatest journey of our lives.”

“He is currently paralyzed from the waist down and has no feeling. We remain incredibly optimistic and will do everything we can to help him. Those who know Johnny know every day that he is not one to give up easily. His sense of humor is still intact and there is a lot of positivity coming out of this hospital ward,” she wrote.

The couple “were supposed to be in New Zealand last week to celebrate our engagement with friends and family,” but had to postpone those plans until the spinal unit. “Not quite how we had imagined the celebration, but still incredibly special,” Gordon said.

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