Brazilian big-wave surfer Marcio Freire died while surfing the central coast of Portugal Thursday, local officials confirmed.
Prior to his death, the 47-year-old man was practicing tow-in surfing on giant waves in Nazaré, the country’s National Maritime Authority told USA TODAY Friday morning.”The surfer had an accident while surfing, which left him lifeless,” the city wrote in an email to USA TODAY Friday.
According to the captain of the Port of Nazaré Mário Lopes Figueiredo, support staff on jet skis managed to get Freire to the beach in Nazaré, but attempts to revive him failed.
Lifeguards verified the victim was in cardiorespiratory arrest and immediately began CPR until first-responders arrived, according to a news release.
When they were unable to revive him, city officials said, a doctor pronounced him dead at the scene.
“The Municipality of Nazaré presents its deepest condolences to the entire bereaved family as well as to the entire surfing community,” the city wrote in its email, praising the efforts of those who tended to Freire.
The city is located about 75 miles north of Lisbon and 130 miles south of Porto.
Freire was one of the three Brazilian surfers who became known as the “Mad Dogs” after conquering the giant wave “Jaws” in Hawaii. He was featured in the 2016 documentary “Mad Dogs.”
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Tributes from other surfers and those who knew him poured in on social media…
