Jake Sylvester is being assessed for possible brain damage after suffering a fractured skull in a ‘one-punch attack’ outside a Newcastle pub on Friday.
Sylvester is a two-time Australasian Pro Junior champ and two-time pro junior winner and former Quiksilver sponsored pro. The 23-year-old had been celebrating after competing in the SurfAid Cup, a charity event part of Surfest, when he was knocked unconscious about 11:25pm the Newcastle Herald reports.
According to police, Sylvester was ejected from the Steel Street Hotel before a scuffle broke out on the footpath. A 22-year-old man from Mayfield allegedly delivered a ‘coward punch’ knocking Jake unconscious in what police are describing as an ‘unprovoked attack’. He has since turned himself in to police and will be charged with recklessly inflict grievous bodily harm.
Jake’s father, Kim is concerned that the assault may have caused permanent damage to his son. “I can feel he is not perfect,” said Mr Sylvester. “He is just not Jake.” Although having regained consciousness and talking and walking, he remains in John Hunter Hospital for more tests on his brain.
His father had feared the worst when he received calls from Jake’s friends describing his son’s condition. “We were told it looked pretty bad, he was unconscious and in a pool of blood,’’ Mr Sylvester said. “One of his best mates stayed with him on the way to hospital and we are grateful for that. It is going to be a worry for a while. It has done something you don’t want done to your head. The bone will heal but it is the damage we are worried about.’’
Tracks sincerely wishes Jake a full and speedy recovery.
