‘Freak accident’: Champion Ironwoman hospitalised with fractured spine
One of Australia’s top athletes has been hospitalised after a “freak” training accident left her with horror injuries and fighting for life in the water. Full details here.
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Champion surf ironwoman Georgia Miller has been hospitalised after fracturing her spine in a “freak” training accident.
Just weeks off her second Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series win, Miller was hit by a surf ski during training, resulting in three fractures to her spine and a laceration to her spleen.
It instantly ended her season and threatened to end her life after being forced into the water and unable to move.
The Northcliffe women’s team were conducting the last exercise of their Wednesday afternoon ski session when they headed out to do one last start on the break.
Miller began, but was quickly hit by a wave in the shore break that doubled up and got dragged back, unable to stop herself.
“Screams” erupted from training partner and good friend Harriet Brown telling her to stop, but it was too late.
Miller was smashed in the back by Brown’s ski, instantly winding her and knocking her into the water.
Brown jumped in after and screamed at the girls to get help, using her body as a “human spinal board” while she waited for help.
“I couldn't breathe, I had been winded quite badly because I’d been hit over my ribs and my lungs,” 26-year-old Miller said.
“It was just so scary.”
Head coach Naomi Flood jumped into action, along with the rest of the Northcliffe team, and helped Miller to shore where an ambulance soon collected her.
“It was a whirlwind of five minutes, it all happened so quickly. I was in a lot of pain, I was struggling to breathe and trying to calm my breathing down,” Miller said.
“It’s more scary looking back now than in the moment, everything happened so quickly.”
Miller, who waited for around three hours in the emergency ward of the Gold Coast University Hospital, fractured her L1, L2, and T11 in her spine, and won’t be able to move or exercise for six weeks minimum.
“It could have been a lot worse, it was lucky I didn’t hit my kidney or break some ribs.
“It’s special, you realise how lucky you are and it puts everything into perspective.
“(It was) a freak accident that has unfortunately put an end to my season, but in the whole scheme of things I am feeling extremely lucky.”
Fellow Ironwoman Harriet Brown said it was “distressing” to see her good friend in trouble and then wait while they learned the extend of her injuries.
“You never want to have to be in that position of seeing a really good friend in distress,” she said.
“I’ve been feeling very worried about her over the last few days, but I’ve been speaking to her a fair bit and I’m relieved that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
“I was concerned she wouldn’t be able to walk.
“It was horrible at the time where the incident happened, but I think it’s such a comforting feeling to know that when we’re out in the ocean if things go wrong, we do have the skills and the competency to act in the right way.
“Georgia’s such a tough woman and we’ll definitely miss her at the Australian Championships.”
The accident came as a shock in relatively mild conditions.
“It was a normal Wednesday arvo for ski,” BMB Northcliffe president David Shields said.
“It wasn’t big a surf. About three foot waves, messy and windblown. There’s been worse conditions but it can happen to anyone at anytime. We’re talking about two of the most skilled athletes in the country, but the surf took over.
“It was like someone tackling you from behind, there was no way she could brace for it. It was a blunt instrument.
“It was a terrible accident but great to see all our member who are qualified surf life savers come to the aid of one of their own members in such a professional way.
“That is the endearing part of what we do, we’re out there saving every weekend, these guys have the skills to do that and it was great to see it in action for a happy outcome.
Shields said it was a “wakeup call” for anyone out on the water to be careful.
“It’s amazing it doesn’t happen more often, especially for eastern seaboard surf club members training every day of the week, let alone at comps with craft which can be lethal weapons when going through the surf.”
Surf life savers have been known to die in the surf.
In 2012, 14-year-old Maroochydore athlete Matthew Barclay drowned at Kurrawa while competing in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.
Two years earlier, Sydney life saver Saxon Bird died at the same beach two years ago, and Kurrawa boat crew member Robert Gatenby died there in 1996.
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