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Brazilian surfer Márcio Freire, who was best known for conquering the Jaws wave in Hawaii, died on Thursday while surfing on Portugal's west coast.
The incident took place around 4:15 p.m. when Friere was measuring the 12–15-foot wave at Nazare. According to local media, he paddled into a few waves on January 5, and then as the waves turned stronger, the trouble started.
In the afternoon, Márcio switched to tow surfing and entered the huge waves without his inflatable safety vest. He was soon wiped out by the wave and lost consciousness. His fellow surfer, Lucas Chumbo, found him cold in the water and towed him to the coast on his back.
But it was too late; the lifeguards attempted to bring him back to life but tragically failed. Márcio Freire was declared dead by officials on Thursday, and the National Maritime Authority later released a statement confirming his death. It stated:
"A 47-year-old man of Brazilian nationality died this afternoon after falling while practicing surfing in Praia do Norte... The rescuers found that the victim was in cardio-respiratory arrest, immediately starting resuscitation maneuvers on the sand. After several attempts, it was not possible to reverse the situation."
Freire was documented with his Brazilian team after they celebrated surfing Jaws, a giant surf break in Hawaii, in 2016.
Surfers mourn the death of Márcio Freire on social media
It was the first fatal accident recorded in the legendary gigantic wave ever since it came to the world's attention in early 2010 via American surfer Garrett McNamara. He is aiming to break the record of a 100-foot wave barrier to surpass German surfer Sebastian Steudtner, who rode the Nazare wave at 86 feet.
Freire had been surfing since the age of nine. He grabbed attention in 2016 after his Jaws wave journey was documented in a movie called "Mad Dogs."
Márcio Freire started surfing on Brazil's northeastern coast in the summer of 1985. Freire was living in Hawaii with a dream of setting a world record. In one of his interviews reported by TowSurfer, he said:
"It is a special vibe when I'm going down the line fast on a monster wave. It is the adrenaline that runs through my veins that keeps me wanting more."
His demise left his family, friends, and the whole wave community in tears. Fellow surfer Nic von Rupp paid tribute to Márcio Freire on his Instagram page. He wrote:
"Today we lost one of ours. Always had loads of respect for Marcio as one of the paddle pioneers at Jaws. Today I saw him surf all day at Nazaré with a huge smile… with that smile is how I’m going to remember him."
Sports photographer Fred Pompermayer also mourned the death of the surfer. He wrote:
"Today we lost a great man, a very good friend, and a legendary surfer, Marcio Freire. He was such a happy spirit, always with a smile on his face… Rest in peace, my friend
Although the world lost a gem, he will always remain in the hearts of the people.
