Sea4Yourselves: R.I.P Andy Irons passed away at age 32

Andy Irons Passed today in Dallas at the age of 32. Leaving behind his pregnant wife, family, friends, and fans. It was Dengue Fever that caused this passing. He went to Puerto Rico for the Rip Curl Search and missed his first 2 heats and tried to fly back to Hawaii. He stopped by Dallas and was unable to board his next flight to Hawaii because he was too sick. He got a hotel room and he passed away there. Today is a tragic day for all and we will always remember Andy Irons, 3 time world champion with one of the best styles on the world tour. We will always remember him and we will always have him as our favorite surfer.

Below are some facts about him and the Dengue Fever that caused his death.

Andy Irons (July 24,1978 - November 2, 2010) was a professional surfer. Irons, a kama'aina, was reared on the dangerous and shallow reefs of the North Shore in Kauai, Hawaii, and has three world titles (2002, 2003, 2004), three Quiksilver Pro France titles (2003, 2004, 2005), two Rip Curl Pro Search titles (2006 and 2007) and an impressive 19 elite tour victories. On September 3rd 2010 he won the Billabong Pro in Tahiti.

An inspiration to many young surfers, he and his family host the Annual Irons Brothers Pinetrees Classic, a contest for youngsters, to give back to the community that has given them so much. The governor of Hawaii deemed February 13 forever 'Andy Irons day'.

His younger brother, Bruce Irons, is a former competitor on the World Championship Tour of Surfing (WCT). During his childhood Andy would lose to Bruce in contests, but that changed once he entered the World Championship Tour, where he dominated.

Billabong produced an "Andy Irons" line of board shorts.

Andy married his girlfriend Lyndie Dupuis on November 25, 2007 in Princeville, Kauai.

He was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach, California in 2008.

In 2009 Andy withdrew from doing the full ASP World Tour season for personal reasons, though he will do a few select events. He requested a wildcard entry for the 2010 ASP World Tour season and was granted this by ASP President Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew so Andy did not have to re-qualify in 2010 via the World Qualifying Series (WQS). Andy won the Billabong Pro Tahiti 2010. -Wikipedia

Here is some facts about the Dengue Fever.

What is dengue fever?

Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of viruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes. It is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows a benign course with symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands(lymphadenopathy), and rash. The presence (the "dengue triad") of fever,rash, and headache (and other pains) is particularly characteristic of dengue. Other signs of dengue fever includebleeding gums, severe pain behind the eyes, and red palms and soles.

Dengue (pronounced DENG-gay) strikes people with low levels of immunity. Because it is caused by one of four serotypes of virus, it is possible to get dengue fever multiple times. However, an attack of dengue produces immunity for a lifetime to that particular serotype to which the patient was exposed.

Dengue goes by other names, including "breakbone" or "dandy fever." Victims of dengue often have contortions due to the intense joint and muscle pain, hence the name breakbone fever. Slaves in the West Indies who contracted dengue were said to have dandy fever because of their postures and gait.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a more severe form of the viral illness. Manifestations include headache, fever, rash, and evidence of hemorrhage in the body. Petechiae(small red or purple blisters under the skin), bleeding in the nose or gums, black stools, or easy bruising are all possible signs of hemorrhage. This form of dengue fever can be life-threatening and can progress to the most severe form of the illness, dengue shock syndrome.

What areas are at high risk for contracting dengue fever?

Dengue is prevalent throughout the tropics and subtropics. Outbreaks have occurred recently in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba, and Central America. Cases have also been imported via tourists returning from areas with widespread dengue, including Tahiti, Singapore, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the West Indies, India, and the Middle East (similar in distribution to the areas of the world that harbor malaria and yellow fever). Dengue is now the leading cause of acute febrile illness in U.S. travelers returning from the Caribbean, South America, and Asia.

A 2009 outbreak of dengue fever in Key West, Fla., showed that three patients who did not travel outside of the U.S. contracted the virus. Subsequent testing of the population of Key West has shown that up to 55 of the people living in the area have antibodies to dengue. As of July 17, 2010, 17 individuals have been identified that acquired dengue in Key West in 2010.

Dengue fever is common, and statistics show it may be increasing in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia have all reported an increase in cases. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are an estimated 100 million cases of dengue fever with several hundred thousand cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever requiring hospitalization each year. Nearly 40% of the world's population lives in an area endemic with dengue.

How is dengue fever contracted?

The virus is contracted from the bite of a striped Aedes aegypti mosquito that has previously bitten an infected person. The mosquito flourishes during rainy seasons but can breed in water-filled flower pots, plastic bags, and cans year-round. One mosquito bite can inflict the disease.

The virus is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person. There must be a person-to-mosquito-to-another-person pathway. www.medicinenet.com

Here is a video of Andy and he was working on a new video, but him passing away will be cut short, but be a memorable video. Here is a small clip of it.