SAN DIEGO – Point Loma Nazarene student Dakota Briley is in a coma and fighting for his life after being hit by a car while he was on the side of a road on June 14 in Hawaii.
Dakota Briley, the 20-year-old son of surfing icon Shawn Briley, is a passionate surfer and member of the Point Loma Nazarene surf team.
He was reportedly unloading surfboards on the North Shore of Oahu near Chun’s Beach when the collision occurred. He is now in an intensive care unit in Honolulu.
“He’s still going through multiple surgeries after being brought to the hospital in critical condition,” said his sister Erin Lau. “Dakota has had several surgeries to stabilize his lower body and repair his lungs.”
Among the other list of injuries are fractures to both legs, pelvis, and skull, along with other extensive critical injuries. One of Briley’s most recent surgeries took place on June 17 and lasted nearly eight hours as surgeons tried to rebuild part of his vertebrae.
“The medical staff has been incredible while working to repair him,” Lau added. “For now, he’s resting until his body is ready for the next surgery. I think we’re just taking it one day at a time. The optimism we have is the fact that he’s young and strong.”
Briley is one of four siblings. He came home for the summer between semesters and was preparing for his junior year when the tragedy struck.
“Right now we are asking people to put out prayers and good energy toward the healing of his spinal cord along with the fractures to his skull that will take time to heal,” Lau said.
“My family is very devoted and has a deep faith in God. The church community has been putting out a lot of prayers for him, and that has given my family strength. Our priority is asking people to keep putting good prayers, energy, and any love toward Dakota and his healing.”
A GoFundMe page for Briley and his family through the journey toward recovery can be found here.