The international surfing community is mourning the death of famous Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire while surfing in Nazaré in Portugal. He reports The Guardian.
Freire lived to be 47 years old.
He died on Thursday, after falling off his board while attempting the famous waves at Portugal’s Nazaré Canyon.
The waves in the area are ranked as one of the sport’s greatest and most terrifying challenges.
“A 47-year-old Brazilian man died this afternoon after falling while surfing in Praia do Norte,” the National Maritime Authority wrote in a press release.
Found Murdered in Vacation Paradise: – Contract Murder
– Unable to save
Rescuers realized that the victim had gone into cardiac arrest after rescuing him from the waves, and immediately started resuscitation on the beach.
“After several attempts, it was finally concluded that it was impossible to save the person,” they wrote later in the statement.
There have been several recorded incidents at Nazaré Canyon in the past, but Freire’s death is the first recorded death.
Freire was among three pioneering Brazilian surfers featured in the 2016 documentary Mad Dogs, which chronicled their attempt to surf the Jaws wave in Hawaii, USA.
Known as a veteran of the sport, Freire lived for 20 years in Hawaii, the traditional home of the sport.
In pain
Tributes to Freire from fellow surfers are pouring into social media.
– Today we lost one of ours. He surfed all day with a big smile on his face. That’s how I want to remember it. Legend, writes surfer Nic von Rupp.
Freire’s Brazilian friend Thiago Jacare also posted on Instagram from Nazaré, calling him “more than an idol” and “a real hero.”
Sports photographer Fred Pompermayer wrote: “Today we lost a great man, a very good friend and a legendary surfer, Marcio Freire. He was such a happy person and always had a smile on his face… Rest in peace my friend.
Local sources said conditions along the coast weren’t particularly dangerous on Thursday, they said The Guardian.
Nazaré is where German surfer Sebastian Steudtner set the world record for the biggest wave ever surfed – a 26.2m wave – on October 29, 2020.
The Nazaré canyon is located along the Atlantic coast, has a depth of 5 kilometers and is 170 kilometers long.
