Spanish Surfer Óscar Serra Passes Away in Heavy Surf at Puerto Escondido | The Inertia

On Saturday, Óscar Serra tragically passed away in heavy surf at Zicatela Beach in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. The Valencian surfer was at the big wave destination for the first time, his friend Miguel Castrillon said on Instagram, and it was the first wave he had paddled into at Playa Zicatela that took his life.

Puerto Escondido has seen a significant run of swell since June, and Óscar had arrived to join friends who were testing themselves in the giant beach break. According to the Spanish version of Mens Health, and EuroWeekly News, Óscar fell after getting hung up in the lip and impacted the bottom of the wave with extreme force. Lifeguards were able to pull him from the water and attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful due to his injuries from the impact. It was not immediately known whether he drowned after being knocked unconscious.

On Sunday, a paddle out was held with friends and the large surf community of Puerto Escondido in attendance to celebrate the life of the young surfer and lament his loss. In a series of moving posts (below) friends such as fellow Spanish surfer Miguel Castrillon and Óscar’s partner, Ainara Aymat, describe him as a leader with a joyful soul and said, “that if he left one day that the best way would be as it happened, enjoying life.” Our hearts are with the friends and family of Óscar Serra, and all those mourning him these past few days.

Editor’s Note: We will update this post as more information becomes available.

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