A San Clemente surfer has suffered a severe eye trauma, at Lower Trestles, when a wave rider accidentally ran over him.
Chris Owen was helped to shore and taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, where he underwent emergency exploratory surgery.
Doctors determined that he would need further surgery to reattach his retina and repair his ruptured eyeball. Later, he was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center and a second opinion was given on how to recover his left eye.
Owen underwent a second surgery, at Good Samaritan Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles. Dr. Roger Novack, a veteran eye surgeon, performed an operation which lasted four hours.
After sixty attempts to close the tear in Chris's eyeball, his eyeball was finally reshaped and his retina reattached with a laser. He is hopeful to regain his sight.
"My eye is currently on the road to recovery. It's letting in a small amount of light in the lower left corner", says Chris. A fundraiser has been setup to help him pay the medical expenses.
Chris Owne is a professional photographer and Lower Trestles is one of his favorite places to surf. Remember that injuries affect one in three surfers. Protect yourself and others while riding waves.
Learn more about the most common injuries in surfing.