"Everyone is just blown away."

Great tragedy struck on the coast of New Zealand yesterday. Local media is reporting that, yesterday Jamie Civil died yesterday just after surfing in a competition at Aramoana, a beach near the southern city of Dunedin. Civil, 35, had wrapped his heat and decided to paddle back out for another session. Witnesses say he had just finished a ride when he was pulled under water and held down for some time. People both in the water and on the sand immediately rushed to save with with doctors and lifeguards performing CPR and using a defibrillator. He was airlifted out via helicopter but not able to be revived.

His partner and six-month-old daughter were on the beach at the time.

No novice, Civil was in great shape and had won a numerous titles with his brother-in-law Homa Mattingly adding, “He loved the big heavy barrelling waves, would often surf them on his own because no-one else was brave enough to enter the water.”

Lyndon Fairbairn, one of Civil’s friends and also member of the South Coast Boardriders Association told Stuff New Zealand that he had seen him ten minutes before the tragedy and,”He had the biggest smile on his dial, he was happy as. That’s how quickly the ocean can take you. And when it’s someone like Jamie, who everyone respects as a big wave surfer, he’s in 30s, he’s fit, healthy and to be taken, it’s a big shock to everyone. Everyone’s just blown away.”

The South Coast Boardriders Assoc. released a statement reading, “The New Zealand Surfing community lost one of its most respected surfers on Saturday, March 26, 2022 when Jamie Civil drowned while surfing huge waves at Aramoana. These were the conditions he lived for was talented and experienced with and thrived in, making the tragedy so much harder for people to process. Jamie’s partner Courtney and their baby daughter Lenni were at the beach when the incident happened. Jamie loved them both dearly. They had become a perfect part of his world and he loved the beautiful life they created and were building for their future.”

A crowd fund has been set up to support Civil’s young family.

Donate here.

Scary times.

It is spring break season in Florida, that time of year when college students and those who prey on college students stuff into cheap hotel rooms from Jacksonville to South Palm Beach, Tampa to Panama City consume much alcohol, attend soirees in less-than-sanitary clubs, day drink, listen to Morgan Wallen and otherwise misbehave.

In normal years it is difficult for the state’s various authorities to control the madness. This year, though, they worry spring break could become a literal, not figurative, bloodbath.

According to the non-profit marine group OCEARCH, an extremely chubby, perpetually hungry Canadian named Scot has moved just off shore in the gulf and is malingering far longer than typical or appropriate.

The 1600 lbs great white shark is a juvenile male, making things that much worse. Per CNN, “The tracker’s records show Scot is a dedicated traveler. He was first tagged in September of 2021 in Nova Scotia – where he was named in honor of the “welcoming and ocean first dedicated people” there by OCEARCH’s partners at Sea World. Scot then traveled a total of 3,910 miles down the East Coast in just 119 days. He has been relaxing around the Florida Keys and Gulf Coast since at least Valentine’s Day.”

While Scot’s razor sharp teeth and undiscerning appetite are causing much hand-wringing, it is actually his name that is most worrying to the aforementioned authorities.

“Any sorority girl away from home and looking for a good time could get lured in, thinking they were simply going on a date with a likeminded fraternity brother,” is the common refrain.

Scary times.

"He was hospitalized fifteen days and alleged further psychological injuries, including nightmares and a fear of the ocean."

The WSL has moved to compel arbitration in its suit with Alexandre Botelho, member of the Big Wave Tour. 

In February of this year, Botelho sued the WSL, along with Bill Sharp (General Manager of the Big Wave World Tour) and Scott Eggers (Safety Director of the Big Wave World Tour) in California state court for injuries sustained during the 2020 Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge. During the event, Botelho was thrown more than 20 feet in the air when his jetski was launched after trying to drive out of the impact zone. 

Botelho landed on the ski, rendering him unconscious. He floated for almost six minutes before being pulled onto the beach.

It took more than a minute for personnel to revive him.

He was hospitalized fifteen days and alleged further psychological injuries, including nightmares and a fear of the ocean. 

Botelho alleged that the WSL “willfully and fraudulently” misrepresented its safety measures, particularly in failing to hire a rescue swimmer after promising surfers that an additional swimmer would be on hand. 

Botelho further claimed that the WSL failed to ensure necessary safety measures, including working radios and a coherent emergency strategy. 

According to the complaint, surfers did not become aware of the lack of adequate safety measures until the eve of the competition, but still signed the competition agreement due in part to costs associated with traveling, training, and perceived obligations to sponsors. 

On March 21^st, the WSL filed its response and moved to compel arbitration. 

Calling the events, “an unfortunate accident” (reminding one writer of a “shark incident”) the WSL alleged that Botelho actually had access to the agreement, including the safety provisions, for “almost three months prior to the Event.”

Further, they claimed that Botelho signed the agreement “four days before the event was even greenlit.” Thus, Botelho “had months to contemplate the terms of the agreement before actually putting on a jersey and competing in the Event.” 

The WSL further noted that there were four titles awarded after the event: “Men’s Wave of the Day, Women’s Wave of the Day, Team Champions, and the Commitment Award.”

According to the WSL, in apparently a nod to the adequacy of the WSL’s safety measures, “after observing the quick and professional response of the WSL’s safety team that day, the surfers made the unprecedented decision to give the Commitment Award, not to any of the competing surfers, but to the safety team.” 

The WSL also claimed that Botelho had “received weekly payments [of thousands of dollars] under the insurance policy the WSL procured and paid for” and only filed the suit “on the eve of those payment [sic] expiring.”

Arbitration would effectively shield the litigation from public view.

If the court grants the motion, the resulting proceedings and outcome would likely remain confidential. 

More as the story develops.