Toby Greene details 10-second mistake in near-death experience while surfing in Bali
GWS Giants captain Toby Greene has opened up further on the moment he almost died while surfing in Bali during last year’s off-season.
A keen surfer in his spare time, the AFL champion took his board out to a beach near the south coast of the island.
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“It was silly, it was naive,” he told Channel 7.
“It was day one, we were staying in an unbelievable villa, we were overlooking the ocean, Padang Padang is to the right, and there were rocks over to the other side. I thought, ‘I’ll just walk across them, scooting around to that beach and paddle out’.
“I hadn’t seen anyone do it and I’d wondered why. I started paddling out across the rocks and realised that I’m in the hit-zone.”
Asked how long it took him to realise he was in danger, Greene said: “About 10 seconds in.”
“I was still on the coral and hadn’t got my leg rope on yet,” he continued.
“The first wave hit me and I could not believe how big and powerful it was. Second one hit me and took my board away, so I’m stuck there.”
Greene was in such a dangerous spot that he could hardly see anyone to call out to for help, and even when he did spot someone, they couldn’t get to him.
“I’m sort of yelling out and the jet ski can’t get to me because it’s a big swell,” he said.
“I went under two more (waves), not much air in the legs — you could feel when your legs go completely white. Had no air in the system.
“Luckily, I could swim a little bit to the right and the jet ski grabbed me and (I) sat on the jet ski for a couple of minutes, just assessing what just happened.
“The jet ski driver, if he wasn’t there, I would’ve been... I reckon I still would’ve been maybe OK because I’m a decent swimmer, but if I got stuck where the waves were any longer, I was in big trouble.
“My board’s still there somewhere, in pieces.”
McLachlan asked Greene of the moment the jet ski driver said: “I’ve never seen anyone get closer to perishing here than you.”
“Yeah, he did say that,” Greene confirmed.
“(But I) lived another day, it was a good way start (the trip). I learnt my lesson; Bali, strong surf — probably go out with someone who knows what they’re doing and don’t be an idiot.”
Originally published on 7NEWS Sport
