Family members identify Corpus Christi doctor as man rescued from J.P. Luby Surf Park
A man who was pulled out of the water near J.P. Luby Surf Park has been identified on social media by family members, who said he was in a coma.
Luis Mackrizz, a Corpus Christi doctor who practices internal medicine near Christus Spohn Hospital Southside, was identified by his two sons on Facebook on Thursday.
Around 8 a.m., Corpus Christi police responded to a call for a possible drowning at the 11500 block of Gulf Beach Road, police officials said.
The man was transported to Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area, where his condition was unknown.
More:Police respond to possible drowning near J.P. Luby Surf Park
Nikolas Mackrizz, the man's son, stated on Facebook that his father was in a surfing accident early that morning.
"Everyone who knows my dad knows he is a fighter ... He is currently unresponsive but has a good pulse in the hospital at Bay Area," he said.
The man's other son, Alonso Mackrizz told the Caller-Times on Saturday his father fell head first into shallow waters while surfing which knocked him unconscious and fractured his neck.
"A local passerby spotted him floating in the water and rushed to pull him out of the water as quickly as possible," he said.
The doctor's Facebook page includes several profile pictures that show him surfing over the course of a few years.
According to the Caller-Times archives, Mackrizz was one of many surfers who took advantage of Hurricane Rita's swell near Bob Hall Pier on Padre Island in 2005.
Mackrizz was photographed sliding down a wave he later estimated at about 8 feet.
Alonso Mackrizz said without the quick intervention, he and his family wouldn't have the hope they have today.
"We love you so much dad!!!! We have many more surf trips ahead of us," stated Alonso Mackrizz in a Facebook post. "We will know more information (Friday) evening when more tests are run."
More related stories:
Update: Missing fisherman's body found in Nueces River at Labonte Park in Corpus Christi