Bethany Hamilton’s 3-year-old nephew, Andrew, is currently in the hospital fighting for his life after being found unconscious in a bathtub on Friday evening.
The 34-year-old professional surfer—who lost her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13—took to Instagram over the weekend to share that Andrew had been airlifted to the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu’s south shore.
“HELP‼️ My precious nephew was medivaced [sic] ... this morning after drowning last night. He still has a heartbeat and has fight in him,” Hamilton wrote on Oct. 12.
“We are wrecked. But I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival and in this case we’re asking for help from anyone who has information of what we can do to give my nephew the best chance.”
Hamilton later added an update to the post, noting that the family had gotten in contact with Dr. Paul Harch, a “world-renowned HBOT expert on adolescent drowning.”
‘Pray for Andrew’
Hamilton’s older brother, Noah Hamilton, also issued a statement online, urging his followers to pray for their nephew, who is presumed to be the son of their brother, Timothy Hamilton, the middle child.“Join us in prayer for my brother’s fifth youngest child Andrew as he was life-flighted to Oahu in the middle of the night,” Noah wrote, according to the Daily Mail.
“He’s three-and-a-half going on five. He’s a strong resilient kid and an amazing swimmer. He was found not breathing in shallow water of bathtub. His vitals were enough to get him to Oahu.”
The professional surfer later penned several updates in the comment section of her Instagram post.
“We are hopeful. Thank you for your prayers and support,” she wrote on Oct. 12. “We are in contact with Dr Harch and many helpful individuals. We trust that God has Andrew in his hands.”
On Sunday afternoon, she added: “Please pray for Andrew and all his loved ones. Pray that we can do our best through this hard time. Much love.”
In an Instagram story post published that same day, Hamilton wrote that she initially was not planning on sharing information about her nephew’s accident.
“I didn’t want to go to public in the first place, but I knew that it could potentially help him by getting more support and receiving more knowledge/help around what he’s going through and it certainly has been a blessing. Thank you,” she wrote.
Bethany Hamilton
After surviving a tiger shark attack in the waters of Tunnels Beach in Kauai, Hawaii, in October 2003, Hamilton released her autobiography, “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board,” the following year.Despite losing her left arm in the attack, Hamilton continued her amateur surfing career. In 2005, she won the NSSA National Championships Explorer Women’s Division, and in 2007, she debuted on the pro surfing circuit.
That same year, Hamilton and her family shared the athlete’s story in the short documentary “Heart of a Soul Surfer.”
Her journey was also explored in the 2011 film “Soul Surfer,” which featured an ensemble cast that included AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, and Carrie Underwood. The movie chronicled how Hamilton “courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith,” according to a synopsis.
Hamilton is now the mother of four children—Tobias, 9; Wesley, 6; Micah, 3; and Alaya, 1—whom she shares with her husband of 11 years, Adam Dirks.
In an Instagram post shared earlier this year, Hamilton touched on her journey as a parent, describing motherhood as “a calling handpicked by God.”
“Embracing the highs and lows, I find strength in knowing it’s not just a role, but a divine calling designed by the Creator Himself.”
