See the excruciating moment surfing star Ramzi Boukhiam writhes in agony as he has to be rescued at Bells Beach after shocking injury

Daily Mail​

22-04-2025

Bells Beach shifted from an Easter surf celebration to a scene of heartbreak as Moroccan surfing star Ramzi Boukhiam suffered a serious knee injury during the first round of the Rip Curl Pro on Tuesday.
The incident occurred during the sixth heat of the day as competition resumed after a three-day break due to poor conditions.
Surfing against Brazilian Italo Ferreira and local wildcard Xavier Huxtable, Boukhiam was walking across the rocky shoreline after completing his final wave when disaster struck.
A sudden surge caught him from behind, forcing his knee into an awkward inward bend.
'It looked fairly pedestrian, but ended awkward,' a witness said. 'He got folded. Knee twisted.'
Ferreira, the current World No. 1, was first to reach Boukhiam.
'He was walking across the rock and the wave hit him from behind,' Ferreira said. 'The knee came to the inside and he felt something strong and was screaming, 'I'm done, I'm done.'
In clear pain, Boukhiam clutched at his knee and screamed, unable to stand.
Fellow competitors, including Huxtable, rushed to help and pulled him from the water.
He sat on the beach for several minutes while awaiting medical attention, visibly grimacing and unable to move his leg.
Eventually, he was placed on crutches and limped into the medical suite high above the Bells Beach sand.
He was later transported by medical team for offsite scans, with early signs pointing to a serious injury.
'Likely offsite scans are next,' confirmed WSL Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer. 'He stepped into the reef and his legs got stuck as the wave broke behind him.'
Boukhiam's injury comes at a crucial point in his season.
Currently ranked 27th, five places below the mid-season cut, his hopes of continuing in the Championship Tour are now in serious doubt.
This isn't his first injury setback. As a rookie, he missed the start of the season after blowing his ankle at Backdoor, with his wildcard then going to another injured surfer, Carlos Munoz.
He only returned to the tour this year after Joao Chianca's head injury at Pipeline opened up an injury replacement spot.
On Tuesday, as Boukhiam's season hung in the balance, the rest of the competition pushed ahead in tricky four-to-six-foot conditions.
Jordy Smith continued his strong form, winning his round-one heat with a score of 12.54.
Australian George Pittar finished second in the same heat to also progress, while Brazil's Samuel Pupo won another heat with a 12.00 score.
Despite onshore winds making the lineup challenging, organisers were determined to make up for lost time after the Easter weekend lull.
'Conditions aren't ideal today, but we have plenty of waves for the first time since day one of the window,' said Miley-Dyer said.
'We're expecting some great surfing as the tide continues to drop on the Bowl.'