View this post on Instagram
A bodyboarder died on Tuesday at Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico. Rafael Piccoli, a 38-year-old from Florianópolis, was surfing during the recent big swell that slammed into the infamous beach break when the accident occurred.
According to reports, it’s likely that he hit the bottom, was knocked unconscious, and subsequently drowned. Although not confirmed, a neck injury is also suspected to have played a role. After Piccoli took off on a large left, he pulled into a barrel that closed out. In such a big lineup, no one noticed the accident until it was too late.
Piccoli was also an avid kiteboarder. Edwin Morales, a Puerto photographer, told Surfline that like many others, he came to Puerto with a singular goal in mind: to get the biggest wave of his life.
After the accident, Piccoli’s body was taken by the current some 200 yards north to Marinero. Lifeguards pulled him from the water and began resuscitation attempts, but were unable to bring him back.
“It’s a shame to have lost a brother of the ocean this morning,” Morales wrote on Instagram. “You went doing what you loved most. Now God has you in his glory. I will never forget what you told us. You could not sleep because of the anxiety of surfing that swell. Only God knows our destiny.”
Our sincerest condolences go out to the friends, family, and anyone affected by Piccoli’s death.
