Matt Scott (left) and his identical twin brother Justin.
Matt Scott (left) and his identical twin brother Justin.
Surfer Matthew Scott slammed head-first into the sand bar at Mangawhai Heads and was critically injured on February 18.
The injury left him a quadriplegic, with an incomplete spinal cord injury.
Scott spent four months in a spinal unit and is now recovering at home in Mangawhai – with specialist care in Auckland
Matthew Scott was living his best life riding the familiar Sunday waves at the Mangawhai Heads Bar when tragedy struck.
The 32-year-old was an experienced surfer and lifeguard, who had been involved with many rescues – but his life changed when he became the subject of a major rescue himself.
On February 18, Scott slammed head-first into the sandbar at the popular Northland beach – leaving him a quadriplegic and sparking a major rescue by surfers, lifeguards and ambulance staff.
The rescue of Matthew Scott by Mangawhai Heads Surf Life Saving crew on February 18. Photo / Elevated Media
“I heard him yell, ‘No! Oi!’ as he was trying to let another surfer know he was on the inside of the wave, but it shut down on him,” he said.
“I saw the guy just bobbing up and down in the water, face down. It looked like he was swimming and I thought maybe he was just angry at the other guy that he yelled out at, but I didn’t really think anything of it,” he said.
When Nicolson asked him if he was okay, there was no reply and so he paddled over with another surfer and rolled him over in the water, he said.
Surfer Matthew Scott slammed head-first into the sand bar at Mangawhai Heads and was critically injured on Sunday February 18. Photo / Givealittle
The community rallied around: fellow surfers, Mangawhai surf lifesavers and first responders together rescued Scott, who has a strong family history with the Mangawhai Heads Surf Club. He was flown to Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital, where his recovery journey began.
Matt’s identical twin brother Justin had recently moved to Sydney for a new job.
He told the Herald he was shocked to the core to receive the phone call about his brother’s accident – Matthew had been surfing the local waves since childhood.
The Scott twins as children.
“[Matt has] done rescues by himself, he’s resuscitated people, he’s done all sorts of things.
“He surfed frequently, every single day when he was living in Mangawhai. He’s really experienced with that break, so it was a shock.”
Matt spent four months in a spinal clinic and is now recovering at the family home in Mangawhai.
Justin said it has been a weird time, living away and coming home often to support his twin.
“It has been a change in dynamic but at the same time, we have supported each other like we always have and always will.
Justin already had an understanding of spinal cord injuries because he had worked on documentaries following people with similar stories.
“We have always been incredibly close and this has made me love him even more” he said.
“My empathy has grown, I can read his mind on what he needs.”
Justin said, “everything we do now is about protecting Matt’s mana” while he undergoes treatment.
Matt Scott (left) and his identical twin brother Justin.
The battle for recovery funding
It can be tricky living in Mangawahi when your three-day-a-week intensive treatment is 90 minutes away in Auckland.
The family has been told Matt’s best chance of regaining strength and function is within the first two years post-injury, so they have chosen to travel to Auckland’s Rope Neuro Rehabilitation, which offers intensive treatment and specialist equipment.
The twins’ mum Charlotte told the Herald Matt treats the treatment “like his fulltime job. Matt’s job is rehab.”
She described her son as “a lovely, gorgeous man putting his heart and soul into his recovery”.
Matt before the spinal injury he suffered while surfing at Mangawhai. His mother Charlotte described him as “a lovely, gorgeous man putting his heart and soul into his recovery”. Photo / Givealittle
The family wants to increase the number of nights Matt is in Auckland for his treatment so he can regain as much function as possible – but they say accommodation is expensive and not covered by ACC.
Charlotte said her son is a private person. “Nobody wants to ask for money, he definitely wouldn’t want to ask for it, but we need the support.” The family has set up a Givealittle page to help plug the shortfall.
ACC says the amount and the type of funding a person can receive is decided on a case-by-case basis to help best cater to an individual’s needs.
ACC currently funds some of Matt’s travel costs as well as massages, community-based physios and occupational therapists – for which the family is grateful.
Mangawhai Heads. Photo / Northen Advocate / John Stone
ACC deputy chief executive for service delivery Michael Frampton said cover can include medical treatment, compensation for loss of wages or salary and rehabilitation support to help the injured person regain independence.
