A surfing trip recently took a devastating turn when a man was shot in what is believed to have been a drive-by gang shooting. The victim, 55-year-old Merrill Roberts from Oceanside, California, was on a surf trip to Santa Cruz with his grown son and two other companions. After a day of surfing, the group was eating at a local restaurant when the incident occurred. According to a GoFundMe campaign set up to assist with Roberts’ medical expenses, the bullet narrowly missed his aorta by just one centimeter.
The shooting took place on the night of November 15th, when Roberts, his son, and a friend were at a restaurant. They were caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting, and Roberts, an innocent bystander, was struck by the bullet. The bullet passed through his left arm, shattering his humerus, and then pierced his lung. It currently rests just one centimeter from his aorta. His family has described it as “one of God’s tender mercies,” noting that had the bullet not shattered his arm, it would have likely had enough force to pierce his aorta. They are also thankful that Roberts’ son was not injured in the incident.
Following the shooting, Roberts underwent surgery to reconstruct his arm with plates and screws. Doctors, however, chose not to remove the bullet from his abdomen due to the high risk involved.
In a statement to ABC 10 after the ordeal, Roberts expressed his gratitude: “I feel very blessed that I’m here talking to you right now. I literally dodged more than one bullet. Even though I took one bullet, it’s definitely a miracle. It’s a second chance to do things even better. This is definitely going to be a great Thanksgiving. I have a lot of gratitude.”
Roberts’ family has set up a GoFundMe account to help cover his medical expenses.