Devon Surfer Who Suffered a Devastating Spinal Injury in Surfing Accident is Blown Away by Amazing Messages of Support

A talented surfer from Devon, who fractured one of his vertebrae following a hefty collision with a wave in Portugal, has now began to walk again. The support that he has received on social media and in person has been inspiring, and he points to that when asked about his incredible recovery.

On Wednesday 8^th November, Andrew Cotton, who was previously a plumber, was surfing in the Nazare region of Portugal. As usual form, Andrew saw an ideal wave taking form and he lined up his board with the ever-growing body of surging water heading his way. He tried to take on the big wave, but unfortunately, he was knocked off his board and the injury he sustained could have killed him.

‘Cotty’, as he is alternatively referred to by his friends and family back in North Devon, instantly knew he had damaged a part of his back. Further tests revealed that he had actually fractured the L2 vertebrae in the lower portion of the spine. Just four days later, on Sunday 12^th November, Andrew announced via Facebook that he had taken his first steps at the Leiria Hospital.

He also used the moment to say thank you for all the fantastic support he had received, and to recognize the mainstream media for bombarding him with Skype calls to keep him busy. After such a traumatic event, it’s great to know that talking through what happened is what kept him positive during the early moments.

Although, he also acknowledged the pain killers as a massive source of comfort. Now, if it wasn’t for fellow surfer, Hugo Vau, who rescued the Devonshire man from the waters in difficult conditions, then it may have been a different story. Hugo got him close to the beach, where the Nazare lifeguards were able to take over and protect the spinal injury.

That’s why ‘Cotty’ has shown such admiration for his fellow surfer since. But, of course, he’s also shown gratitude to the doctors and nurses for the outstanding care, and his teammates for gathering his possessions. In addition, he stated that following the accident, the mayor, Walter Chicharro, has made sure there are always lifeguards present in Nazare.

Furthermore, he expressed a lot of appreciation towards the 2,000+ people who wished him a speedy recovery, including his sponsors, and his agent, Chris Farris. The awful event was actually trending on Twitter at one stage, and this was both humbling, and uplifting for the Devon surfer.

Ultimately, it’s magnificent that the big wave surfer has progressed so much, in such a short space of time, following a bad injury. But, the support that has poured in from the masses has surely helped immensely, and that’s why ‘Cotty’ has highlighted that as a significant factor in him taking his first steps since.

Take Home Message

We want to point out here that many people aren’t as lucky as Andrew when it comes to recovery from sporting injuries. Many professional athletes, sporting teams and indeed pro surfers usually have the support of a resident chiropractor or physical therapist as well as top-notch medical doctors.

To recover from a back injury in this way is truly lucky given how delicate the spine and back region can be. The spine houses the central spinal cord and allows your nervous system to communicate effectively between your organs/cells/muscles and your brain.

Find out more about lower back injuries here and how you may recover faster from such significant impacts.

Contributing Author: My Back Relief Clinic Dulwich Hill.