‘I thought I was going to drown’: Portuguese surfer needs 50 stitches on face after hitting rock

Portuguese surfer Vasco Ribeiro was surfing in the Moroccan sea when, caught in a wave, he hit his face on a rock and lost consciousness, risking drowning. The Portuguese athlete was rescued by other surfers and taken to hospital, where he was operated on and received fifty stitches on his face. On social media, Vasco explains the experience, which he calls “the most terrible moment” in his life.

“After falling into the pipe, I hit my face on a rock, lost consciousness and for the first time thought that I would drown!” began the words of the Portuguese surfer on Instagram.

“I’m here because of my brothers Ramzi Boukhiam and Achraf Bahcha and Ismael pulled me out of the water by my shoulders and took me to the hospital, where I immediately underwent surgery and had 50 stitches on my face! Now I am in the hospital until I fully recover! A big thank you to my entire Moroccan family, if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be writing this post,” he concluded.

Let us remind you that Vasco Ribeiro has been suspended from professional competitions for three years since July of this year for failing to pass anti-doping control. In a message posted on Instagram at the time the suspension was announced, the Portuguese athlete admitted that he did not attend anti-doping control because he had a drug use problem.