Australian stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton pay tribute to surfing legend who died in a horrific accident on a remote tropical island
- Hawaiian sports legend Mikala Jones dies
- Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton paid their respects on Instagram
- Jones was best known for his incredible vision of Go-Pro surfing.
Australian surfing stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton led tributes to Hawaiian legend Mikala Jones, who reportedly died of blood loss after severing a major artery in the Mentawai islands off the Indonesian coast.
Jones, 44, was famous for his incredible use of Go-Pro footage when out on the ocean and his genuine nature ensured that he was universally respected and loved within the sport.
The exact details of his death remain unclear, but the surf line The website reported that he died of blood loss on Sunday after one of his board’s fins likely severed his femoral artery, the main vessel supplying blood to the lower body.
Three-time world champion Fanning was devastated 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, she loved her friends, and she loved her family” and was an inspiration to everyone she met.
Jones’s daughter, Isabella, posted on social media that she was “so incredulous right now, this doesn’t feel real” but was “happy he was doing what he loved the most.”
Australian surf stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton led tributes to Hawaiian legend Mikala Jones, (pictured), who died after severing her artery in the Mentawai Islands, off the Indonesian coast.
Jones, 44, grew up in Hawaii but also spent a lot of time in Indonesia chasing off the beaten track surf spots.
Three-time world champion Mick Fanning described his good 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 loving father.
Brian Bielmann, a famous surf photographer and friend of Jones, wrote on Facebook that “details are a bit sketchy, but it appears he was hit by his surfboard and severed a major artery.” [before bleeding out]’.
She later added on Instagram: ‘Mikala was 44, which is way too young. He was a wonderful person and an amazing artist…and the Go Pro photos of him were just amazing.
‘Are [all] I’m going to miss him very much.’
In another tribute, Surfline praised Jones as “one of the most photogenic surfers of the 21st century.”
Jones was born and raised in 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, he loved his friends and he loved his family.”
Jones, who was born and raised in Rock Point in Hawaii, was known for his iconic photographs and footage captured while riding some of the most pristine waves on the planet.
Mick Fanning shared a photo on Instagram of Jones and himself, writing that it was “one of a kind”.
Jones’ daughter, Isabella, shared several touching photos of her and her father together on Instagram while paying tribute to him.
He was known within the global surfing community for discovering uncharted surf breaks around the world and was passionate about preserving them.
Fanning, who survived a shark attack in 2015 while surfing in a competition at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, also claimed that Jones had a “great sense of humor and was loved for his ‘classic one line’.
On Jones’s Instagram, other surfing identities expressed their sadness at the news, notably icon Kelly Slater and former pro surfer turned house DJ Paul Fisher.
Jones is survived by his wife Emma and their three children.
