Mick Fanning & Koby Abberton pay tribute to surfer Mikala Jones who died in freak artery accident
Aussie stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton pay heartfelt tributes to surfing legend who died in a horrific freak accident on a remote tropical island
- Hawaiian sports legend Mikala Jones has passed away
- Mick Fanning & Koby Abberton paid their respects on Instagram
- Jones was best known for his great Go-Pro surfing vision
Aussie surf stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton have led the tribute to Hawaiian legend Mikala Jones, who reportedly died of blood loss after cutting a major artery in the Mentawai Islands off the coast of Indonesia.
Jones, 44, was famous for his incredible use of Go-Pro footage in the ocean and his sincere nature made him universally respected and loved within the sport.
Exact details of his death remain unclear, but the Surf line website reported that he died of blood loss on Sunday after one of the fins on his board likely severed his femoral artery, the main blood vessel supplying blood to the lower body.
Three-time world champion Fanning was shocked by the news and described his good friend as ‘one of a kind’ who was also an ‘explorer, pioneer and family man’.
Bra Boy and big wave surfer Abberton posted on Instagram that Jones “loved the ocean, loved his friends, and loved his family” and was an inspiration to everyone he met.
Jones’ daughter Isabella posted on social media that she was “so much in disbelief right now, this doesn’t feel real,” but that she was “happy that he was doing what he loved most.”
Aussie surf stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton have led the tributes for Hawaiian legend Mikala Jones, (pictured) who died after cutting his artery in the Mentawai Islands off the coast of Indonesia
Jones, 44, grew up in Hawaii but also spent a lot of time in Indonesia looking for unexplored surf spots
Three-time world champion Mick Fanning described his close friend as ‘one of a kind’ who was also an ‘explorer, pioneer and family man’
She also posted “life will never be the same” without her beloved father.
Brian Bielmann, a famous surf photographer and friend of Jones, wrote on Facebook that ‘the details are a bit fuzzy, but it sounds like he got hit by his surfboard and severed a main artery. [before bleeding out]’.
He later added on Instagram: ‘Mikala was 44 and that’s way too young. He was an amazing person and an incredible artist… and his Go Pro photos were breathtaking.
‘We are [all] going to miss him so much.’
In another tribute, Surfline praised Jones as “one of the most photogenic surfers of the 21st century.”
Jones was born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, surf magazine Stab reported, adding that he moved to Bali in the early 2000s.
Big wave surfer Koby Abberton posted on Instagram that Jones “loved the ocean, loved his friends and loved his family”
Born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, Jones was known for his iconic photos and images captured while riding some of the most pristine waves in the world
Mick Fanning shared a photo on Instagram of Jones and himself, writing that he was “one of a kind.”
Jones’ daughter Isabella shared several touching photos of her and her father together on Instagram as she paid tribute to him
He was known within the global surfing community for discovering undiscovered surf spots around the world, and he was passionate about preserving them.
Fanning, who famously survived a shark attack while surfing in a competition in South Africa’s Jeffreys Bay in 2015, also stated that Jones had a “great sense of humour” and was loved for his “classic one-liners’.
On Jones’ Instagram, other surfers expressed their grief at the news, most notably icon Kelly Slater and ex-pro surfer turned house DJ Paul Fisher.
Jones is survived by his wife Emma and their three children.