Andre Botha, South Africa’s bodyboarding champion saves a life

Andre Botha won the Global Organisation of Bodyboarders World Tour Title in 1998, and in the next year the World Bodyboarding Championships at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii.[i] He became the youngest ever winner of the Banzai Pipeline Championships, as well as the youngest bodyboarding world champion.[ii] On 8 December 2015, Andre rescued an American surfer by the name of Evan Geiselmann from drowning whilst surfing the Pipeline reef, situated along Hawaii’s North Shore.[iii] Evan Geiselmann was rendered unconscious when he struck his head during the life threatening wipeout.[iv] Video footage showed Andre helping Evan by preventing him from drowning[v] by performing CPR in the water.[vi] Lifeguards assisted Andre in getting Evan out of the sea water and immediately took him to Queen’s Medical Centre, where Evan made a full recovery.[vii] Australian World Champion surfer Mick Fanning was also involved in the rescue efforts.[viii] End Notes [i] David van Lill, Van Lill’s South African Sports Trivia (Cape Town: Zebra Press, 2005), p. 237. ↵ [ii] David van Lill, Van Lill’s South African Sports Trivia (Cape Town: Zebra Press, 2005), p. 237. ↵ [iii] Watch: SA bodyboarder rescues surfer from watery grave, http://www.enca.com/sport/watch-sas-andre-botha-rescues-american-surfer (8 December 2015). ↵ [iv] Watch: SA bodyboarder rescues surfer from watery grave, http://www.enca.com/sport/watch-sas-andre-botha-rescues-american-surfer (8 December 2015). ↵ [v] Watch: SA bodyboarder rescues surfer from watery grave, www.thesourcemagazine.orghttp://www.enca.com/sport/watch-sas-andre-botha-rescues-american-surfer  (8 December 2015). ↵ [vi] Watch: SA bodyboarder saves drowning US surfer, http://www.news24.com/Video/World/watch-sa-bodyboarder-saves-drowning-surfer-in-hawaii-20151209  (9 December 2015). ↵ [vii] Watch: SA bodyboarder rescues surfer from watery grave, http://www.enca.com/sport/watch-sas-andre-botha-rescues-american-surfer (8 December 2015). ↵ [viii] Watch: SA bodyboarder saves drowning US surfer, http://www.news24.com/Video/World/watch-sa-bodyboarder-saves-drowning-surfer-in-hawaii-20151209 (9 December 2015). ↵