Aussie surfing stars Mick Fanning and Koby Abberton have led the tributes for Hawaiian legend Mikala Jones, who reportedly died of blood loss after severing a major artery in the Mentawai Islands off the coast of Indonesia.
Jones, 44, was famed for his incredible use of Go-Pro imagery when out in the ocean and his genuine nature ensured he was universally respected and loved within the sport. Exact details of his death remain unclear but the Surfline website reported he died of blood loss on Sunday after one of the fins on his board likely severed his femoral artery, the main vessel supplying blood to the lower body.
Jones’s daughter Isabella posted on social media that she was ‘in so much disbelief right now, this doesn’t feel real’ but that she was ‘happy he was doing what he loved the most’. She also posted ‘life will never be the same’ without her beloved father.
Three-time world champion Fanning was shattered at 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, loved his friends and loved his family’ and was an inspiration to everyone he met.
Brian Bielmann, a famed surf photographer and friend of Jones, wrote on Facebook that ‘details are a little sketchy but it sounds like he was hit by his surfboard and cut a main artery [before bleeding out]’.
In another tribute, Surfline hailed Jones as as ‘one of the 21st century’s most photogenic surfers’. Jones was born and raised on Rock Point in Hawaii, surf magazine Stab reported, adding that he moved to Bali in the early 2000s.
He later added on Instagram: ‘Mikala was 44 which is far too young. He was a wonderful person and incredible artist….and his Go Pro photos were just mind blowing. ‘We are [all] gonna miss him so much.’ He was known within the global surfing community for discovering unexplored surf locations around the world, and was passionate about their preservation.
Fanning, who famously survived a shark attack in 2015 when surfing in a competition at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, also stated Jones had a ‘great sense of humour and was loved for his ‘classic one liners.’
On Jones’ Instagram, further surfing identities expressed their sadness at the news, notably icon Kelly Slater and ex-pro surfer turned house DJ, Paul Fisher. Jones is survived by his wife Emma and their three children.
