Sunny Garcia Fighting for His Life After Confirmed Suicide Attempt, Says World Surf League

Surf legend Sunny Garcia is reportedly fighting to recover from a suicide attempt, according to an update by the World Surf League.

Garcia was admitted to the hospital in Portland, Oregon on Monday, according to a report by TMZ. In the hours since, The World Surf League has confirmed that the 49-year-old athlete was taken in following a suicide attempt. Garcia has had struggles with depression in the past, and has even discussed various treatment options publicly with his fans.

In their last update, the World Surf League said that Garcia was in the intensive care unit. The details of his condition are unclear, and there is no telling when more information will be available.

Garcia is one of the most prominent figures in pro surfing today. He is has won the Triple Crown of Surfing six times in his career, and won the World Surf League’s world championship in 2000. Garcia took to the sport as a young man, growing up Hawaii. In 2015, he was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.

Garcia is an active member of the community. He is famously friends with other pro surfers such as Kelly Slater and Jamie O’Brien, who joined the sport around the same time as him. Garcia has hit some huge milestones in the world of pro surfing — he was only the second pro ever to win more than $1 million in prize money.

Still, in a life and career marked with huge wins, Garcia has had his struggles as well. In 2007, he actually served prison time for a tax evasion case, which Garcia said stemmed from a miscommunication with his accountant. According to TMZ, Garcia said his takeaway from the struggle was “never trust your CPA… don’t trust anybody for that matter.”

While surfing is Garcia’s passion, he has urged people to be respectful when observing or engaging in the sport themselves. He is protective of Hawaiian culture, and has urged his fans not to trample it if they visit the islands.
“Come, enjoy and be respectful, yeah — if you can be that then we welcome you with open arms. But, if you’re gonna come and piss in my backyard, you might get a slap in the head,” he reportedly said.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).