Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton is grappling with the loss of her young nephew, Andrew. The 3-year-old boy succumbed to injuries sustained in a drowning incident despite efforts to save his life.
Hamilton, known for her resilience after losing an arm in a shark attack at 13, shared the devastating news with her followers on Instagram on Oct. 19. “The Lord has received my sweet nephew Andrew into his beautiful care,” she wrote. “While my family and I will miss him dearly, we trust that his joy is full with Jesus.”
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The tragedy unfolded on Oct. 11 when Andrew experienced a drowning accident. Hamilton had previously informed her supporters about the incident on Oct. 12, revealing that her “sweet” and “precious” nephew had been medevaced to a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, believed to be the Kapiสปolani Medical Center for Women & Children in Honolulu, according to People.
At that time, Hamilton reported that Andrew still had “a heartbeat” and showed “fight in him.” She reached out to her social media community for support and information, writing, “We are wrecked. But I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival and in this case we’re asking for help from anyone who has information of what we can do to give my nephew the best chance.”
Through her plea, Hamilton connected with Dr. Paul Harch, a Louisiana-based expert in hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This treatment, which involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment, is typically used for decompression sickness but has been explored for other medical applications, per the outlet.
Despite these efforts and the medical team’s best interventions, Andrew passed away on Oct. 18. His father, Timothy Hamilton, Bethany’s brother, shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram. “It hurts terribly, and we miss Andrew more than words can express,” Timothy wrote. “But we do not mourn as those who have no hope. We rejoice in the certain hope of the glory of God, into whose name Andrew was baptized.”
Andrew, born on December 26, 2020, is survived by his parents, Timothy and Kyah, and his siblings Thomas, Joshua, Matthew, Noelle, and John, along with extended family members. In her tribute, Bethany shared several photos of her nephew and a prayer that encapsulated the family’s faith during this difficult time. She wrote, “This prayer paints so incredibly what it is to have faith. Faith is to trust that God’s will for our life is greater than our own.” The professional surfer later posted an image of herself with Andrew, taken shortly before his passing, with the caption, “Andrew is and was loved so well. His joy is full in the Lord.”
This tragedy has struck a family already familiar with overcoming adversity. Bethany’s own story of perseverance following a shark attack at age 13 inspired the 2011 film Soul Surfer, starring AnnaSophia Robb. Now 34, Hamilton is a mother of four, sharing sons Tobias (9), Wesley (6), and Micah (2), and daughter Alaya (16 months) with her husband, Adam Dirks.
As the Hamilton family navigates this loss, they have expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from their community. Bethany thanked her followers for “all for the love, prayers and support in this trying time.”
