Ten-year-old Byron Bay local Pascal Dattler is lucky to be alive. While surfing his local break The Pass, Pascal was hit in the back of the head by a stray longboard.

Ten-year-old Byron Bay local Pascal Dattler is lucky to be alive. While surfing his local break The Pass last week, Pascal was hit in the back of the head by a stray longboard [correction: large rocket fish with wooden spray or gloss vener finish]. The owner of the board was said to be a heavy set local learner who foolishly surfed the crowded break without a leash [unconfirmed]. This horrible incident has again raised the question of surfer safety and the need for some type of segregation method to avoid learners on heavy-duty boards surfing amongst crowds without the proper know-how or equipment.
With media interest no doubt swirling into gear some sort of system may finally be arranged for hectic breaks like Byron, Manly and Bondi (to name a few). But that won’t help Pascal. Pascal’s father Thomas explains, “He’s currently resting and the operation went well,” he told Tracksmag.com. “James Lee the Neuro surgeon at the Mater in Brisbane said it was the worst head injury he’d seen in a long time. Pascal had to have the lining of his brain stitched back together. Nine bones were shattered in his skull that needed to be pieced back together with five metal plates screwed in to replace (and hold) the shattered bones in place. Then the skin on top of the skull was stitched and stapled. James was amazed that Pascal was not knocked unconscious and had no signs of nerve damage to his hearing.”
Due to the severity of the injury and invasive nature to the brain Thomas (and his wife Tara) are now dealing with the concern of infection. If Pascal’s injuries stay free from infection there’s every chance of a full recovery.
So, what is the answer? Do we banish those who can’t look after themselves (or others) in the water to a flagged area on the beach designated for learners? Great idea, but who’s going to enforce it and what type of surfer is honourably going to nominate him or herself to such a place if they’ve indeed surfed for a year or two and feel above it? The answers aren’t clear but something certainly needs to be done before someone is killed. You don’t have learner skiers riding black diamond runs on the slopes so why do they seem to have carte blanche in the waves.
Thomas believes some simple steps would be a good start. “If some good can come from this that’s one thing, there are near misses at The Pass every day with learners mixing with the more experienced surfers. The surf schools could educate their classes on etiquette, hand out flyers with surfing laws and these large boards should be rubber tipped when rented out.”
Let’s just hope that people pay a little more attention to not only controlling these monster boards in crowded line-ups but taking responsibility for what they do to others. The owner of the board that hit Pascal did help the youngster from Cooribell Primary School to shore – but has not been seen or heard from since.
I openly invite all debate on this subject and ask you post you thoughts in the comment section below.
Other than that rest up Pascal a care package from the ed staff at Tracks is coming your way little buddy – get well soon.

– Col B