Australian surfing legend Tom Carroll seriously injured while surfing at North Narrabeen
Legendary surfer Tom Carroll has been injured while surfing.
Carroll was rushed to hospital after the dramatic scenes unfolded at North Narrabeen Beach this morning.
The Daily Telegraph reported it was unclear how Carroll was injured, but his head was bandaged and he was put on a stretcher by lifesavers before paramedics arrived at North Narrabeen Surf Club at 9am.
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He won more than two dozen surfing titles during his illustrious career.
A witness said Carroll appeared to be seriously hurt with a large cut on his head.
“He walked out of the water and seemed pretty rocked,” the witness told The Daily Telegraph.
“Everything seemed fine, than he fell off his board and copped a fair gash.
“He was a bit rattled when lifesavers first approached him, so they put him on the stretcher and called the ambulance.”
Carroll was later discharged and was quick to assure friends he was OK.
“It’s OK ... I just got a few stitches in the head and a very sore neck,” Carroll said on Instagram.
“So some spinal (concerns) but I was cleared, OK, by the docs.
“And (I’m) AOK, thank you very much for all your concerns ... (but) I’m so thankful that I’m here standing on my own two feet talking to you about it.”
Carroll said the injury was “nothing like the fin (of a board) up the bum”.
“In fact, I wouldn’t want to wish that on anyone,” he said.
“Get the neck and head injury anytime ... (this is just a) hole in the head.”
But Carroll did admit he still had some concerns.
“It’s all a bit of a blur but I must have hit something,” he told News Corp.
“The impact itself scorpions me over my board which created a really bad electrical sound which concerned me.
“I’m going to look into my neck and spine ... because I’m not quite sure if everything is OK.”
Carroll is considered one of Australia’s greatest surfers.
He won back-to-back world titles in 1983 and 1984, won the Pipe Masters three times and was inducted into the Australian Surfing hall of Fame in 1990.
He was surfing’s first millionaire after signing a million-dollar contract with Quiksilver in 1989.
