Shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton has made an urgent plea for help on behalf of her family regarding her nephew Andrew, who was hospitalized after a near-drowning incident.
On October 12, the professional surfer took to Instagram to share the distressing news that her 3-year-old nephew had been medivaced to Kapiolani Medical Center in Oahu following the incident.
“HELP,” the 34-year-old wrote, accompanying a photo of Andrew helping to carry a surfboard. “My precious nephew was medivaced to Kapiolani in Oahu this morning after drowning last night. He still has a heartbeat and has fight in him.”
Hamilton, a mother of four, expressed her family’s anguish, stating, “We are wrecked. But I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival, and in this case, we’re asking for help from anyone who has information on what we can do to give my nephew the best chance.”
The post was shared on the Instagram account of Hamilton’s eldest brother, Noah.
He also issued a heartfelt plea on his Facebook, providing further details about the incident.
“Join us in prayer for my brother’s 5th youngest child Andrew as he was life-flighted to Oahu in the middle of the night,” he wrote on October 12. “He’s 3.5 going on 5. He’s a strong, resilient kid and an amazing swimmer. He was found not breathing in shallow water in a bathtub. His vitals were enough to get him to Oahu.”
Following the incident, Bethany updated her post, sharing that the family had reached out to Dr. Paul Harch, who runs a hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic in New Orleans and has experience treating drowning-related injuries.
On October 13, she posted another update, urging everyone to pray for Andrew and his loved ones.
“Please pray for Andrew and all his loved ones,” she wrote in the comments section. “Pray that we can do our best through this hard time. Much love.”
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