Bethany Hamilton Says Young Nephew Drowned, But 'Still Has a Heartbeat'

Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton is asking for prayers after her young nephew Andrew accidentally drowned.

“HELP My precious nephew was medivaced [sic] to Kapiolani in Oahu this morning after drowning last night. He still has a heartbeat and has fight in him,” Hamilton, 34, and brother Noah captioned a joint Instagram post on Saturday, October 12. “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.”

Hamilton later revealed that her family had “got ahold” of a doctor, who specializes in adolescent drowning to help Andrew’s recovery.

“We trust that God has Andrew in his hands. … Please pray. THANK YOU,” Hamilton concluded her Saturday post, before adding in the comments section that she was also seeking a specialist in the hyperbaric chamber.

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Hamilton has not shared further updates on Andrew’s condition. Several hours later, she reshared an anonymous quote about faith on her Instagram Story.

“In the chaos, God whispers, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ When life feels overwhelming, trust that He’s already working things out,” the quote read. “Peace isn’t found in the absence of storms, but in knowing who’s in control.”

Hamilton captioned the post with three crying emojis and set the post to Andrea Vanzo’s “Dreaming to Fly.”

Hamilton is a professional surfer and lost her arm in a shark attack at the age of 13, which inspired AnnaSophia Robb’s 2011 movie Soul Surfer. 

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The athlete herself is a mother of four. She shares sons Tobias, 9, Wesley, 6, and Micah, 2, as well as daughter Alaya, 16 months, with her husband, Adam Dirks. While Hamilton never detailed her amputation story to the kids, they found out elsewhere.

“I actually never really explained it to him,” Hamilton exclusively told Us Weekly in 2019, specifically referring to eldest son Tobias. “I think his cousins told him. Kids will be kids. Word gets out.”

Hamilton also wasn’t in a rush to show the kids Soul Surfer.

“Maybe when he’s older if it naturally happens, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to show it to him just because I want him to be a bit older,” she told Us. “The shark attack scene is a bit gory and kind of crazy and hectic. I don’t want him to have fears, even though he knows what happened.”