Professional surfer Arran Strong is presumed to be dead four days after going missing in a scary scene on the coast of Portugal.
The 28-year-old went missing at sea Monday after stopping to take pictures and get a sip of water alongside his coach, Jose Maria Pyrrait. With no sign of the surfer, the Autoridade Maritima Nacional confirmed to BBC Sport that its search has been called off on Thursday.
The AMN was made aware of Strong’s disappearance around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, which came after the surfer was “crossing from Monte Clerigo beach to Carrapateira,” officials said per the outlet.
“His friend, who was with him, was rescued by a local fishing boat that was nearby,” the AMN added in reference to Pyrrait.
The coach did not see the instance in which Strong went missing.
Pyrrait wrote a heartfelt Instagram post on Tuesday, detailing the terrifying moment when Strong disappeared from his board about a mile off Arrifana.
“In short: we stopped off Arrifana to drink water and take some pictures. We were there for a few minutes talking, when we started again,” he wrote. “I let him go ahead. Since my pace is faster. I always do that. When I would catch it and get a short lead I’d stop and wait for it.
“This time it was no different, but when I stopped to wait, I saw your board drifting about 100 meters away. I paddled as fast as I could to get there, diving repeatedly looking for it, but we were in a really deep area and visibility was very short.”
Pyrrait explained he messaged his partner, who was on land, to call for the rescue before a local fisherman picked him up. They searched the waters for about two and a half hours, “banging the entire area with the boat probe.”
Strong competed in the World Surf League for a decade. He also competed for Great Britain at each of the previous two World Surfing Games, in which he finished as the highest ranked British surfer at both events.
Pyrrait admitted he felt “empty” after losing Strong, who he called like a “son” to him since meeting the young surfer at 10-year-old.
“My love for him, was like another son that life gave me. Funny how I always told I’d die young. At this moment I feel a deep pain, there is the tiny solace that left at sea, a place I loved so much,” he wrote.
Other tributes poured in for Strong, who lived in Portugal, throughout the week.
“Beyond his performances in the water, Arran was a fantastic team-mate, respected competitor and a kind, generous presence whose passion for surfing left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” GB Surfing said in a statement on Instagram on Tuesday. “His passing is a devastating loss to our sport and the wider surfing community, and he will be greatly missed.”
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