Professional kiteboarder Alex Bloechinger was critically injured last week after slamming into a pier in St. Petersburg, Florida.
According to a GoFundMe page created on his behalf, Bloechinger was attempting to take advantage of the forecasted heavy winds and jump the pier for a second time that day.
“For an experienced rider such as Alex, higher winds mean a greater chance to jump high and cover extreme distance, making the feat more obtainable,” wrote Matthew Sexton, who organized the page.
Sexton said he thinks that the incident happened when a gust of wind pulled Bloechinger from the surface of the water too early and swung him into the pier.
After slamming into the pier, Bloechinger’s friends pulled him out of the water and first responders transported him to a nearby hospital.
As a result of the accident, Bloechinger, who became a pro kiteboarder 2000, suffered a broken sacrum and pelvis, a right femur fracture, ligament damage on his left knee, fluid in his lungs, and some arterial bleeding in his right leg.
“According to the doctors, it is nothing short of a miracle that he is still with us,” Sexton wrote, adding that Bloechinger underwent surgery on Monday.
As of writing this article, Bloechinger’s GoFundMe page has raised more than $85,000 out of the $100,000 goal.