After images emerged of Carlos Burle being rescued from a heavy wipeout at Nazaré, the big-wave surfer took to Instagram to update fans that he had been released from the hospital, is in stable condition, and is returning to Brazil.
Footage circulating online shows Burle getting swallowed by whitewater on a massive wave on December 3. Then he gets hit by a second wall of whitewash, leaving him little time to catch his breath. Lucas Chumbo managed to reach him for a rescue on a Jet Ski, then Burle was carried up the beach, where lifeguards administered oxygen.
“I’ve received many kind messages and I’m too busy to respond to them all,” said Burle. “I went through a very difficult time, a huge challenge here in Nazaré. I took a lot of waves on the head, but I didn’t lose consciousness, I didn’t swallow water, and my condition is stable.”
Burle also made a striking admission about filming himself in big surf.
“My lesson today was that I shouldn’t have had a GoPro,” Burle said.
He explained that holding the camera complicated both pulling his inflatable vest and mounting the rescue ski. Earlier in the session he had filmed two waves with the GoPro, but on his third wave he decided to try a new angle, pointing the camera back toward his face with the wave behind him.
“I wasn’t very focused on other things, I was more thinking about taking good pictures,” Burle admitted. “I’ve always had the ability to handle filming with cameras in my hand, but in this extreme situation, having a GoPro hindered me a lot.”
Burle noted that having one hand occupied made it harder to time the inflation cord pull. By the time he reached the surface, he said his lungs were near their limit and he managed only a quick breath before the next wave hit. Attempting to grab onto the Jet Ski with just one free hand added another challenge.
“It became very clear: In a situation like that, with so much risk, we must focus 100 percent on the safety process and avoid having equipment that is only for capturing images,” said Burle.
“Of course, we will always want to capture images, but even then, you can expose yourself,” he added. “I hope that whoever is listening to this testimony can understand this in a positive way. There’s a right time to take a cool picture, and a right time to stop using your camera and focus on your performance.”
Despite the close call — and maybe a soon-to-come angry email from GoPro’s PR team — Burle is thankfully recovering. We’ll see if his warning influences other big-wave riders who surf with handheld cameras.
Editor’s Note: We reached out to Carlos for comment but have yet to hear back.
