Dirty Water: Teen photographer almost killed at Teahupoo recounts near-drowning

Dirty Water: The BeachGrit Podcast featuring Chas Smith and Derek Rielly

A couple of weeks before the Olympic surf event at Teahupoo, a teenage Australian photographer was found floating face-down during a heavy eight-foot Teahupoo swell.

Nineeten-year-old Byron Mclouhglin, who was shooting the action from an inflatable bodyboard, had been sucked over the falls on an earlier set and had ended up in the lagoon. The former tour surfer Michel Bourez went in to pick him up and brought him back to the channel.

Thirty minutes later he was found face down in the water by American photographer Ryan Craig and Tahitian bodyboarder Angelo Faraire.

Mcloughlin had blue lips and foam pouring out of his mouth

If it wasn't for the courage of the fearless Tahitian crew, this minnow would be out!

Over the course of this forty-minute episode of the very occasional Dirty Water podcast, Byron Mcloughlin recounts his Teahupoo brush with death, as well as his almost fatal encounter with Padang Padang in Bali two years ago.

Compelling!