The nephew of surf icon Bethany Hamilton has tragically passed away days after he was found unconscious inside a bathtub, his family revealed.
Andrew Samuel Hamilton, 3, died on Thursday in Oahu, Hawaii, days after he suffered injuries in the drowning incident at his home.
‘It hurts terribly and we miss Andrew more than words can express,’ his father said in a heartbreaking Instagram post.
Bethany previously shared her family’s anguish after Andrew was found in his home, urging fans to pray for a medical miracle for her ‘precious’ nephew.
Andrew Samuel Hamilton, 3, died on Thursday in Oahu, Hawaii, days after he suffered injuries in the drowning incident at his home
The boy is the nephew of surfing icon Bethany Hamilton, who previously urged fans to pray for a medical miracle for her ‘precious’ nephew
In his message announcing Andrew’s passing, the boy’s father said it came only after ‘all of the best life-saving interventions had been exhausted.’
He said he will be mourned by his many loved ones, and ‘by his family in Christ’, whose ‘steadfast prayers at Andrew’s bedside and preaching of God’s Words to our broken hearts has sustained our souls this past week.’
‘It hurts terribly and we miss Andrew more than words can express,’ he continued.
‘But we do not mourn as those who have no hope. We rejoice in the certain hope of the glory of God, into whose name Andrew was baptized, whose precious blood washed Andrew clean and made him a child and heir of heaven.’
The post was met with a wave of support, with fans of his surfing icon aunt sending their condolences to the grieving family.
Andrew (pictured bottom row, center, surrounded by his family) was raced to hospital after he was found unconscious in a bathtub at his home
Pictured: Little Andrew and his family, who said his tragic death came only after ‘all of the best life-saving interventions had been exhausted’
Bethany, a renowned shark attack survivor, told her fans after Andrew was hospitalized: ‘We are wrecked. But I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival.
‘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.’
Bethany’s brother Noah, who is not Andrew’s dad, also asked people for prayers – calling his little nephew a ‘strong, resilient kid’ and an ‘amazing swimmer.’
He wrote: ‘Join us in prayer for my brother’s fifth youngest child Andrew as he was life-flighted to Oahu in the middle of the night.
‘He’s three-and-a-half going on five. He’s a strong resilient kid and an amazing swimmer. He was found not breathing in shallow water of bathtub. His vitals were enough to get him to Oahu.’
For Andrew’s treatment, the family were able to get ahold of Dr. Paul Harch – a world-renowned expert on hyperbaric oxygen therapy in cases of children drowning.
It was his son who notified Bethany under her post: ‘Dr. Harch is my father. I just messaged you with his cell number. He wants you to give him a call. Sending you and your family lots of love.’
For Andrew’s treatment, the family were able to get ahold of Dr. Paul Harch (pictured) – a world-renowned expert on hyperbaric oxygen therapy in cases of children drowning
Bethany is best known for a shark attack at age 13 that nearly derailed her career
Bethany is best known for a shark attack at age 13 that nearly derailed her career.
In 2003, while she was surfing off the coast of Kauai with a friend’s family, a 14ft tiger shark bit off her left arm just below the shoulder.
The others were able to swim her back to shore and put a tourniquet on, but she had already lost 60 percent of her blood by the time she arrived at the hospital.
A tiger shark that was caught and killed shortly after the attack had pieces of a surfboard lodged in its jaws, and it was later determined to have been the attacking shark.
Despite her devastating injury, Bethany took less than a month to recover before returning to surfing, and she had her first professional contest after the attack in 2004.