Up-and-Coming Young Surfer Suffers Horrible Broken Leg at Padang Padang

A young surfer suffered a gruesome injury at Padang Padang that will delay his dreams of becoming a pro.

Padang Padang Beach, Indonesia / Mandatory Credit - Oliver Sjöström

Surfing is one of the most enjoyable activities that a person can do on the water. Unfortunately, like any other sport, there are some risks involved when going out into the water on your board. It is something 16-year-old Ifran Saeppu found out in the most brutal of fashion.

Recently, Saeppu was heading into a barrel at Padang Padang, something he has done a ton of times. A local from Pei Pei, a nearby village, he was recognizable at Kandui Resort for how often he was there.

He is very good friends with Dylan Wilcoxen, also known as All Day Dylan. The village of Pei Pei is where the two met and their friendship blossomed. A resident at Kandui, Wilcoxen recognized the talent his friend had early on.

“Dylan asked his Dad Ray, if Ifran could start spending more time at Kandui and that soon meant Kandui home school, afternoon 4Bobs and over the last year, the 2024 Indonesian Contest Tour (Krui, Nias, Bali, etc),” Kandui Resort said, via Alexander Haro of The Inertia. “With the help of Ray, Dylan, Kandui, his family, and Pei Pei Village, it’s been such a cool experience for someone without the financial means to get the opportunity to represent his Mentawaiian village and shoot to become the Mentawai’s first pro surfer.”

Unfortunately for Saeppu, those goals will have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future. During that day in August, his life would change forever after suffering a severe injury.

Despite his experience in the water there, something went awry. A heavy lift came crashing down on top of Saeppu, resulting in his femur being snapped clean in half in two places.

The largest bone in the human body, emergency surgery was performed so his leg could be stabilized. On August 21st, according to the GoFundMe page that was set up for him, he had a successful first surgery.

Even with that being done, he is not yet in the clear. A second surgery is going to be needed to remove all of the instruments that were used to stabilize the leg in the first surgery.

These are unfortunately very expensive procedures. Haro shared, “The injury has already cost Ifran around $10,000 USD. In October, he’s scheduled to have another surgery to remove the plates and screws, which is estimated to cost around $5,000 USD. Physical therapy and living expenses while he’s recovery will run around another $5,000, bringing the estimated total to $20,000 — a lot for a teenager from a tiny village.”

As of the time of this writing, over $13,700 has been donated to the cause. This isn’t the first time that Dr. Mario Quiros, the Kandui Resort Medical Director, has previously put together efforts to help an Indonesian person in need.

“Dr. Quiros oversees our Kandui Resort Medical Team, has created GoFundMes for previous Indonesians in need, and has been working with Ray to coordinate Ifran’s care from the time of his injury,” the email shared by Haro says. “He will ensure that all the funds raised will go to Ifran’s treatment.”

Hopefully, Saeppu can get all of the help that he needs. Having his dreams derailed at such a young age is a devastating thing to see. There is a long rehab process that lies ahead, but he is surrounded by people who will ensure that things go well and he is back in the water as soon as possible.