Honeymooning Cutie Pie Breaks Leg In Tidal Wave

Marelize had a rough honeymoon. She and her hubbie of two years decided to take a delayed honeymoon vacation to their native country of South Africa.

Marelize at her 2016 wedding. Husband Ryan and sister Gerda (far right) would help rescue her after breaking her ankle

In January of 2018, Marelize and her husband Ryan went to a rocky beach with Marelize's sister Gerda. They couple decided to take a posed photograph of themselves on a rocky cliff with waves crashing in the background. Gerda was the camera woman.

The money shot that earned Marelize a broken leg

Things appeared to be going fine. Gerda got the picture the couple wanted. Then things turned bad.

The moment Marelize broke her leg.

A massive wave slammed the rocky cliff and Marelize and Ryan went tumbling. Ryan cut his knees on the jagged rock. Marelize got her foot stuck in a crevice, twisted with the force of the wave, and heard her bones snap.

Gerda, caught the whole episode on video. Later, hubby Ryan provided the video to the South African Sea Rescue Patrol so they could post it their website under the heading of 'what not to do' at the beach.

Marelize's home made splint

Ryan and Gerda got Marelize out of harms way. Ryan fashioned an impromptu splint using Marelize's flip flops and his shirt.

The challenge now would be to get Marelize to the level beach hundreds of yards away.

Gerome the handsome gynecologist from Amsterdam

Help came in the form of a handsome doctor who was vacationing from Amsterdam. Everyone's spirits rose when it was learned that Gerome was a doctor. Unfortunately, he was a gynecologist - not an orthopedic surgeon.

Ryan Piggy backing Marelize to the beach

Ryan, with the help of Gerome and Gerda, piggy back carried Marelize to the flat beach where an ambulance was summoned. Marelize was in agony at this point. The adrenaline had worn off and the reality of a dislocated ankle and two broken bones in the leg was setting in.

Ryan and life guard Alice

While EMT's were stabilizing Marelize's ankle, Ryan let a life guard named Alice treat his bloody knees. As you can tell from the photo above, Alice is proud of her body. No wonder Ryan is smiling.

A stoned and smiling Marelize in the ambulance with her sister Gerda

Marelize was transported to a nearby hospital. She was given morphine during the trip and appeared pain free upon her arrival.

Marelize's ankle prior to x-rays at the hospital

X-rays confirmed a broken tibia and fibula as well as an ankle dislocation. Surgery would be scheduled for the next day. Until then, the emergency room doctor had to put Marelize's ankle into a reasonably anatomically correct position.

Marelize minutes after her painful fracture reduction session

In spite of massive amounts of morphine, the setting of Marelize's broken ankle was a life altering event for Marelize, Ryan, and Gerda. The three swore that night that the reduction process would never be discussed again among them.

Marelize discussing her upcoming surgery the evening of the accident with the orthopedic surgeon. Mom is on hand also

Surgery went well. Marelize received a plate and a dozen screws. She was in the hospital one night after surgery then released.

Marelize hours after her surgery. She would stay in the soft splint for 10 days

Ten days after surgery, Marelize had her stitches removed and was placed in a hard cast. Unfortunately, there are few pictures of the cast.

Our heroine back at the scene of the accident three weeks after sugery.

She did join a social media broken leg support group and posted regularly about her recovery. Marelize's major complaints about the hard cast were difficulty sleeping and the itchiness under the cast.

Marelize's hard cast a few days before it was removed. Out of boredom, she has drawn pictures of her internal hardware on the cast

Eight weeks after the injury, Marelize was cast free. She was not placed in a boot following cast removal. She went directly to weight bearing.

Marelize's legs and feet on 'cast off' day.

Today, Marelize and Ryan live in the Middle East. He is a high school teacher and she teaches 4th grade and coaches soccer.