Gabriel Klaussner Nearly Drowns In Brazilian Tube Comp, Saved By Weslley Dantas

Yesterday, or today, depending on where you’re clocking in from, 20-year-old Brazilian prospect Gabriel Klaussner nearly drowned at the Tunel Crew Shootout in Itacoatiara, Brazil. Gabriel, for context, claims the wave there is the heaviest in the country.

Gabriel, if you’re unfamiliar, made a wildcard appearance at the Rio Pro CT earlier this year. He finished 17th, but here’s his take: “I did really well. I got the best wave of the heat and I was winning for most of it.”

Anyway, back to the near-death part. In the opening round, Gabriel swung late on a Puerto Esc-esque lump, air-dropped, caught a rail, and headbutted the water like a pissed-off bull, getting slammed straight into the sand.

“It was so scary,” he says. “I hit my ear super hard, and I couldn’t tell if I was up or down.”

The footage is unsettling. Gabriel’s underwater long enough to make you wonder if he’s going to stay there. When he finally surfaces, disoriented and gasping, his arms go up like a landlocked tourist on Bondi Rescue.

Straddling the line between conscious and unconcious, he manages to scramble to the tail of his board before another wave hammers him back down.

“I couldn’t tell if I was up or down. My only instinct was to pull the leash and hold tight to my board,” he recalls. “When I finally got air, I threw my hands up, but then I lost consciousness and started drowning.”

Luckily, praise be to the gods of Rio de Janeiro, his signals caught the attention of the other surfers. The commentary from the beach helped too, alerting everyone that urgent assistance was needed. Just before he lost consciousness, Gabriel had once again managed to drag himself halfway onto his board, possibly saving his life.

Weslley Dantos, also in the heat and leading at the time, was the first to get to him. He caught a wave, saw Gabriel sinking, and made a beeline for him. By the time he reached Gabriel, he was about to go under for good. Wesley dove in, bear-hugged him upright, and kept him afloat.

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“I didn’t know if I was in the water or on the surface,” he says, held tight to Weslley’s chest. “It was scary. The shorebreak made it tough for them to get to me, but Weslley got to me in less than 30 seconds.”

Weslley already had enough points to win the heat, but he’s definitely improved his karmic credit score with this one. Though Gabriel says the two aren’t exactly close, Weslley was a childhood inspiration. Evidence in the heartwarming photo below.

“We’re not really close, but we’re from the same town, so we love each other,” says Gabriel. 

Lucas Chumbo went on to win the comp, and while Gabriel’s recovering from what’s almost certainly a concussion and a blown eardrum, he still hasn’t bothered with a doctor.

“I’m feeling better,” he says. “Sometimes I get dizzy. We don’t know the exact diagnosis, but it seems like it’s a burst ear drum. It’’s painful. When it’s windy, it hurts.”

A close call turned lucky. Brazil’s beaches might be famous for their weak spots, but Itacoatiara, it seems, isn’t the one you want to test that theory on.

“These waves are the most powerful waves in Brazil,” finishes Gabriel. “That was the first time I felt scared for my life.”