San Francisco resident Sandro Ricardo Britz was identified as the deceased surfer. Photo: Sandro Britz//Facebook
A man who passed away while surfing in San Francisco on Thursday has been identified as 55-year-old Sandro Ricardo Britz, a resident of the city. Authorities have still not released the cause of death.
Photos on Britz’s Facebook profile show that he had been surfing Ocean Beach, where the accident occurred, at least since 2009.
Friends wrote messages on his profile. “Oh, my surf buddy,” said one friend. “I’m not prepared for this.”
“I am very sorry (for) your departure. I (had) the pleasure of being your friend,” another wrote.
On Thursday, May 29, an unusually large North Pacific swell was battering the sandbars at Ocean Beach.
The San Francisco Fire Department said that an off-duty National Park Service lifeguard, along with three on-duty lifeguards, saw Britz waving his hands for help in the ocean near Lincoln Way. When they reached the surfer, he was unconscious and not breathing. He was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased.
It’s unclear if Britz suffered a medical emergency in the water or if injuries directly related to surfing were the cause of his death.
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