A Florida man lost his life while surfing near Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores after reportedly sustaining a head injury in the water.
On Friday, September 13, at approximately 9 a.m. local time, 49-year-old Jorge Alvarado from Port Orange was surfing just south of the pier. During his session, he struck a sandbar and subsequently became “tangled under the pier,” according to Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Director Tamra Malphurs reported that a witness observed Alvarado strike a piling with his head before submerging in an unguarded area. The outlet noted that it took several minutes to rescue him.
“Sounds like the lateral current pushed him into the pier after he hit his head,” Malphurs added.
Alvarado was placed on life support following the incident. However, a GoFundMe established for the beloved surfer’s medical care shared a tragic update earlier today.
“It is with a heavy heart that Jorge has passed away,” the campaign’s organizer, Justin Gore, wrote. “Jorge, rest in paradise brother … Your spirit was as vibrant as the ocean waves you loved to ride. You brought joy and adventure to everyone around you.”
“We’ll carry your memory with us every time we get in the water, knowing you’re out there in the surf, riding the biggest wave of all watching over each and everyone of us,” Gore added. “Rest easy Jorge Alvarado. We love you brother.”
“To everyone that prayed, showed support to the family, and donated….. THANK YOU! Jorge was loved by so many people and he will truly be missed,” Gore concluded.
As of this writing, the campaign has raised $15,885 of a $25,000 goal.
Friends Called the Beloved Florida Surfer a ‘Jovial Spirit’
Meanwhile, friends offered local media outlet WKMG-TV’s News 6 their thoughts on Alvarado and what he meant to the local surfer community on Monday, Sept. 16.
“Jorge is the embodiment of the phrase ‘this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine’, ” Alvarado’s friend Chis Chibbaro told the outlet.
“He has this jovial spirit, makes fast friends with everyone. He’s kind of like all of the community youngsters, he’s almost like their uncle and dad or something,” friend Brian Holmes told the station.
“We’ve all taken hundreds of falls like this and some of us have had close calls, rubbing into the bottom a few times but you really have to fall just right to have an injury like this,” Holmes noted.
“We love you, Jorge, we love you so much,” he added.