Tragedy.
Tragedy has struck the Portuguese big wave Nazaré hours ago as local media is reporting that the Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire has died after a heavy wipeout.
According to the captain of the Port of Nazaré Mário Lopes Figueiredo, Freire was immediately fetched from the water and “towed to the beach by a colleague on a jet ski, already in cardio-respiratory arrest.”
The rescue crew immediately raced Freire to the beach where he was met by an ambulance and medics. The captain continued, “Unfortunately, none of the life support maneuvers were successful, and death was eventually declared on the spot.”
Freire becomes the first, registered, fatality at Nazaré.
The picturesque giant, which exploded onto the scene after Garrett McNamara first surfed it in 2011, has been flooded with those seeking fame and glory since. Multiple records have been recorded including the Guinness World Record for “highest wave ever surfed” by Sebastian Steudtner.
Freire was no thrill-seeking novice, having been in the running for a Ride of the Year award out at Jaws, where he frequently surfed.
Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.
Your comments are still here. Every one of them.
Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.
Connect Disqus to reveal.
Maya should take notice this time!
Only ever heard good things about this man. Sad to hear of his passing. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Last year 2 other Maui legends died suddenly from Cardiac arrest- the Eggers brothers, Loch and Hunter. Went to school w Hunter on Oahu. Classic, funny and full on life chargers.
The international media knows nothing about Marcio. If he were an American or Australian, he would be in the surfing hall of fame. This is the truth. He was a surfing legend, one of the most influential big-wave surfers of all time. Because of him and the Mad Dogs (Danilo Couto and Yuri Soledade), big-wave surfers started to paddle huge waves again after the tow-in fever. Marcio and the Mad Dogs were pioneers in Jaws, paddling into those waves for years until other surfers realised they didn’t need jet skis to pull them into waves. All big wave surfers know it. Marcio paved the way for other surfers in Jaws. Surfing would probably be different without him and the Mad Dogs. RIP legend
I think it’s slowly getting there
https://www.theguardian.com…
Also he’s referred immediately as a veteran surfer, as opposed to just a surfer, ruling out he was a thrill seeking maverick out of his depth, which is a good way of presenting him to the world.
Either way it’s terrible news, really sorry if you knew him personally.
We went to school together. Huge loss for the big wave surfing community and for me as a friend.
Sounds like a proper school.
David Lee Scales, be careful what you wish for..
could be yet another vax death. 15% extra mortality in past year in vaxxed countries, crazy
The ferocity of Nazare, coupled with the extreme difficulty of a rescue attempt, makes a fatality a much more likely consequence of this lineup than other big wave spots.
Mavericks, Jaws, Pipeline, Teahupoo, they’re all dangerous. And then there are the myriad big enough to kill you waves people used to and still surf uncrowded, no jet skis, no one to help.
Rest in Peace Marcio Freire. Fucking sucks.
Also 47