surfers Photo: ted grambeau The Unbelievable Bravery Of Benny Cryan Surfer & Survivor chris binns

en Cryan is a surfer. A good surfer from Melbourne via Sydney and the Gold Coast who spent B a large part of his 20s exploring the world’s oceans, in between studying and working as a civil engineer. A little over two years ago, on the cusp of a new phase in his life, he boarded a plane to Micronesia, headed for the island of Pohnpei. A seasoned traveller, he didn’t think twice about buying travel insurance – “it’s not negotiable” – and in the end that decision saved his life. Literally. Life spent a few days with Benny down at Bells, where amongst other things he was enjoying, “meeting new people and having a couple of beers”, for the first time in a long time. After two of the most horrific years imaginable, Ben shared his remarkable tale with a smile and a sparkle in his eye, and a take on life that puts the rest of us to shame. This is his story ...

At the start of 2011 things were looking pretty were straight back out there. I probably good. I’d just signed a contract allowing me to got a dozen really perfect waves. Big “They were operating all start my own engineering company, and another barrels. Towards the end of the day I was day, every day. They’d to own my first home. I had two weeks to fill in hunting a wave to come in on, and took operate, stop, warm me up, before I started my new job, so I called up David off on a big one with a long wall out in Scard (World Surfaris travel agent/hellman), ’cos I front. I pulled in and tucked up into the then operate again, trying knew there was some good surf heading for P-Pass. barrel, and looking back I travelled too to get the infection out.” I’ve surfed a lot of places around the world. Spent far in it. I remember the first spit going eight months in South and Central America, spent a over my shoulder, and going, “fuck!” I lot of time in Puerto Escondido in Mexico and then did a little turn to try get higher to get down to El Salvador. I ended up at the long lefts in more speed, then the second spit just hit Peru, and the Galapagos Islands were really cool too. me and blew me off my board. I tried to dive down have been on something more serious straight They were the highlights. Did Europe in a Kombi as deep as I could, but I couldn’t get away from it away, because a day or two later the infection van, through France, Spain, , and a couple and it picked me up, sucked me over, then drilled started to kick in. of months in Morocco. Have been to Bali and the me into the reef. I called my girlfriend at the time and told her what rest of Indo plenty of times, boat trips, G-Land, that I managed to get my feet out in front of me, but had happened, but asked her to keep it from my sort of thing. my back went straight into this piece of coral, and parents. She didn’t, and I’m glad of that, because P-Pass was getting known, a remote island with straight away I thought I’d broken my back. Turns out dad freaked out, got travel insurance involved, and a hell of a wave. After I saw all the perfect shots I did, I fractured my coccyx and a few lower vertebrae, thank fuck he did. The insurance company sent coming out of there I knew I had to give it a go. I but at the time I thought I was a paraplegic and that a plane from Sydney to pick me up and fly me to booked last minute, the day before, and got there it was game over. I remember wiggling my fingers, Melbourne, and if it hadn’t have got there when it the next night. In hindsight the best thing I did was and I could do that, then I wiggled my toes, and I did there’s no way I would have survived. During to book travel insurance. Thankfully by that point it could do that, so I knew I wasn’t paralysed, and I the flight the infection became so bad in my body wasn’t something I even considered, I’d always had it managed to swim under the next wave. All the boys that it went into septic shock. That’s when your body when I travelled, you just have to. It’s not negotiable, on the boat were cheering, then they realised pretty shuts down your organs to try and preserve them. especially when you’re going to a wave that’s remote quickly I was in a lot of trouble and swam over and Generally if that happens, you’re fucked, you die. I and pretty dangerous, as most waves are over reef. got me. Luckily there was an American paramedic don’t remember any of this. When they picked me up It’s the same around Indo, you’ve got to be careful. onboard, and he started looking at me straight away. I blacked out, and I woke up about two months later. We got amazing waves for a week straight. Not They rushed me to land, and by the time we got In that two months, a shitload happened. I huge, but good, perfect, fun waves. I surfed a lot there I was lapsing in and out of consciousness. The basically died on the plane, and they were like, “shit, and was feeling really fit, then everyone started guys from the camp were very on it, they’d radioed we’ve gotta get him off.” They made an emergency talking about a swell that was on its way. The Vans through and had an ambulance waiting. I was straight landing in Cairns and rushed me straight in to the guys flew in, John John Florence, and Pat and Dane into the hospital and straight into surgery. In hindsight intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital, and that’s Gudauskas, so it was proper. It was too big for me the that probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but after when a whole series of operations started. They were day they arrived, and I sat in the boat most of the day the operation the surgeon was happy. He thought operating all day, every day. They’d operate, stop, and watched. I couldn’t help myself though, I had to he’d done a good job, and it was neat and tidy, but warm me up, then operate again, trying to get the paddle out just to feel the power. I was so scared. he mustn’t have cleaned it all up 100%. Some of the infection out. By this stage the infection was in my John John kept paddling deeper and saying how coral or poison must have been still inside me. skin as a bug, and it starts eating through your flesh. fun it was, but I just kept paddling for the horizon, The surgeon told me to spend the next couple of It’s called necrotising fasciitis, or NF. It’s rare, but it’s and kept wondering how I was going to get back in. nights in hospital, and then I’d be right to catch my like gangrene, and they’ll often cut your arms or your The next day the swell had settled a little and we flight home. The hospital didn’t have any antibiotics, legs off to stop it spreading, so they started cutting surfed all day. Had some lunch on the boat then we I was just on a saline drip, and obviously I should away around my arse and the top of my legs.

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My parent had flown to Melbourne, then heard their kidneys were compatible. Mum was the better I was in Cairns and almost dead so they flew match and she put the hand up, and effectively gave straight there. A doctor told them I wasn’t going to me a new life. Mum never hesitated, she didn’t think survive the night, so Dad had a priest read me my last it was a decision she had to make, she just did it, and rights that night. I was unconscious, and my family all for that I’ll be forever grateful. said their goodbyes and the priest basically gave me To mum and dad, for all the love they’ve shown away. Somehow I woke up in the morning, and kept me, I can’t be thankful enough. It really is your family hanging in. The doctor said if the plane had been an and friends who get you through these sorts of hour later I never would have survived. If I’d been a things. Staying positive and overcoming adversity, couple of years older I wouldn’t have survived, and if I a lot of it comes from within, but a huge amount was a smoker I wouldn’t have survived. Being in such of that is generated by the support of your friends. good shape from surfing, and naturally being pretty I was getting 20-30 emails a day from around the fit and healthy was one of the main reasons I hung in. world telling me to stay strong. My phone was always Then category five cyclone Yasi hit Cairns, and ringing, lot of texts, it’s such a great feeling. the decision was made to evacuate the hospital. My mates organized a series of fundraisers that The army had to move every patient to Brisbane. To I knew nothing about. One in London, then one in move a critically ill person is a major, major exercise, Melbourne and another in Sydney, that all raised a and risks that person’s life. The doctor’s didn’t want shitload. My medical expenses were huge, plus I to let it happen, but they had no choice once the had my house payments and rates and those sorts government stepped in, so I had to move 28 hours of things. The money was a massive help, and I don’t on a Hercules. I had a team of doctors around me. know how I would have got through without it, to They could only move me a certain distance at a be honest. Through friends-of-friends we auctioned time, then they stop you and do all these checks. Out off a day’s surfing with , and one of his of my room, into an ambulance, across the tarmac, boards. That went for a fortune, and Mick has been onto a plane, get me settled, move again. in touch a few times since, and taken a real interest It was a huge procedure, but somehow I made it in my situation. I even got Tweeted at by . through that as well. In Brisbane they kept operating, It’s pretty cool when you’re laying in a hospital bed, trying to get the infection under control, and finally bored out of your mind, and a Tweet from Kelly Slater they did. By the time I woke up I was around the pops up, or an email from Mick Fanning. That sort of 20-operation mark, and I was finally moved out of stuff keeps you going. ICU and could then get airlifted back to The Alfred I’m keen to try and get back in the water, that’s Hospital in Melbourne. That was on my birthday, a big challenge for me. Since I got out of hospital March 4, 2011, and it was a massive milestone to get I’m always trying to set goals for myself. When the through all the operations and make it home. A lot of doctors tell you that you can never do something it’s friends came to my room when I got back, drinking up to you and your attitude as to whether you take champagne, celebrating my health and my birthday. their word for it, or just say, “Fuck that!” and go and That night I suffered four major seizures and was prove them wrong. When they said I wasn’t going rushed straight back in to ICU. I was still really sick to walk, I walked, and when they said I wasn’t going and the pressure of the move and the excitement of to surf … well I actually have already been surfing! seeing all my friends must have added up. Two nights After I had the transplant all my mates took me later I had a massive stroke and suffered bleeding on out for a sneaky one at Bondi. When I say surf it was the brain, and that left me unconscious for another more of a paddle. It was my first time back in the four weeks. I had to have a very serious open brain ocean after being pulled out at P-Pass. About 15 operation, so they could get the blood off my brain. blokes gave me a big cheer and clapped me into the When I woke up the second time was when it really water, then followed me in. Because of my seizures, got tough. I was a little more conscious of everything, the big problem with surfing is if I pass out, I need I had to start dealing with all the cuts and scars on to float face up or have someone there to roll me my body, the effects of the stroke, and I’d lost 50% of over in a hurry. I need to look into getting some my vision. I was told I wouldn’t walk again, couldn’t kind of buoyancy put in a wetsuit, which won’t make surf again, drive again, or use a knife and fork. That duckdiving fun, but if it gets me back in the lineup was the hard part, but it just fired me up. I got out then it’ll be worth it. “When the doctors of my bed and walked six weeks after they told me I Without getting too deep, looking back I wouldn’t tell you that you can wouldn’t ever do it again. change a thing. It was an accident, and accidents never do something Finally I got out of the hospital and was moved happen to everyone, every day. What I’ve learned into a rehab centre. I needed to learn to walk, to think from all of this is that I had a bad accident, but it’s up to you and your again, to cook again. Speech therapy, physiotherapy, everyone has their own problems, and it’s up to our attitude as to whether you name it. I was there for about a month, before own attitudes as to how we deal with them. If you you take their word for I had my second stroke, and was straight back in to combine that with the love and support of your family The Alfred. and your friends there’s nothing in life you can’t it, or just say, “Fuck The strokes were caused by my kidneys not achieve. If that same wave came, it sounds fucking that!” and go and coming back on again after the septic shock. My stupid, but I’d probably still take off on it. prove them wrong.” body couldn’t regulate my water, my blood pressure went up, and I was thirsty for about a year and a half. I Ben would really, really like to encourage you to was on blood thinners too, which further complicates check out www.donatelife.gov.au and put your things. So many of my injuries came from trying to fix name on the donor registry. A transplanted organ one problem and it leading to five new ones. has given him the life he leads today, and it could I had to be on dialysis until my body was stable do the same for you or someone you love. Sign enough for a transplant. I had over 150 dialysis up today, and make sure your family and friends sessions; three times a week for six hours at a time for know about your decision (this can now even be over a year. Both mum and dad had the test to see if done on Facebook…)

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