A young surfer has opened up about a dream trip that turned into a nightmare and left him paralysed from the waist down.
Johnny Konings, an experienced surfer from New Zealand, recently made the move to the Gold Coast with his fiancee Charlotte Gordon.
While enjoying a surfing session at his favourite break at Duranbah, the 31-year-old was speared into the sandbank on the first wave of the day.
Rushed to the hospital via helicopter, Konings was found to have sustained a broken spine, fractured ribs, and a collapsed lung.
“Increasingly it’s the mental challenges that are going be the hardest part I think,” said Konings of his recovery.
Gordon says the pair are determined to face the challenges together.
“For us what the doctor says the prognosis is, is not the best. But we’re staying positive that he’s alive, which is such a miracle,” she said.
Konings and Gordon celebrated their engagement in the courtyard of the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
“I’m extremely determined to get back to my feet again,” he said.
A crowd funding page has been set up to help the couple.