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Surf pro Sunny Garcia moved to California hospital for lung surgery

Andrew Gomes
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STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014

Sunny Garcia, 49, won a world surfing championship in 2000 and holds records for the most Triple Crown of Surfing trophies (six) and most world-tour-stop victories (22). He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Sunny Garcia survived another surgery in an effort to keep the veteran Hawaii professional surfer alive since he was found unresponsive April 29 and hospitalized in critical condition.

Garcia’s daughter, Kaila Garcia, provided the update July 3 on the “prayforsunny” Instagram account she set up to share information about her father’s condition.

She reported Garcia was moved from a hospital in Oregon, where he was on life support with a feeding and breathing tube, to a hospital in California after contracting pneumonia. He underwent surgery July 3 to address problems with his lungs.

“He’ll be recovering for a while because it’s a lung surgery, but it looks like they got everything out,” Kaila Garcia said in her post.

As of today, a GoFundMe page she established had raised $117,467 of a $150,000 goal to help with medical expenses.

Garcia, 49, won a world surfing championship in 2000 and holds records for the most Triple Crown of Surfing trophies (six) and most world-tour-stop victories (22). He was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

The surfer known for power moves also has struggled with depression. The cause of his medical woes has not been released.

His daughter continues to ask that people pray for her father.

“We say this every time, but please everyone keep praying and sending your love and support,” she said in her most recent Instagram post. “Dad is a WARRIOR, and he is in a marathon, not a sprint. Please help him and our family keep up the fight by praying for him and sending him love for a few minutes every day.”