Swedish surfer breaks leg at Umina Beach

Cherrie EklundSwedish surfer Cherrie Eklund in a cast.

A Swedish woman has thanked members of the public who came to her aid after she broke her leg while surfing at Umina Beach.

Ms Cherrie Eklund was surfing on the morning of December 2 when she hit a sandbank and was flung from her board, breaking her left leg in two places.

“I knew immediately I had broken it and straight away focused on dragging myself to more shallow water, ” Ms Eklund said.

“There were some people who came to help, including the gentleman who went to get the lifeguards, two women and a doctor who got me out of the water, a woman walking her dog who called the ambulance and a few others I’m sure who stopped to help.

“I knew if I kept screaming for help, it would keep me awake so that I wasn’t at risk of drowning and that someone would come to help, ” Ms Eklund said. “Today (December 6), I was discharged from Gosford Hospital sporting a fancy rod in my leg and I should be back surfing in a couple of months, ” Ms Eklund said.

SOURCE: Social media, 6 Dec 2019 Cherrie Eklund, Umina

This article appeared first in the Peninsula News print edition 485