Surfer dies after unfortunate accident on the coast of Dayton Beach

Ocean surfing can be a dangerous activity. The impact with the water is physically demanding and can result in serious injury. Plus, you never know what dangers lurk beneath the surface.

Unfortunately, these horrors ended fatally for one surfer.

On Friday, September 13, at around 9 a.m. local time, Jorge Alvarado, a resident of Port Orange, was reportedly riding waves south of the Sunglow Pier near the shoreline of Daytona Beach Shores.

He suffered a head injury in the water. According to Tamra Malphurs, Volusia County Beach Safety and Rescue Director, via Frank Fernandez of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “It is believed that Alvarado struck a sandbar and then became entangled in a piling beneath the pier. A witness then saw him “hit his head on a piling before sinking in an unguarded area.”

Several other surfers in the water attempted to rescue Alvarado, but it took several minutes to recover him. Life-saving measures were immediately administered until he was taken to the hospital.

“Sounds like the side current pushed him against the pier after he hit his head,” Malphurs wrote.

A GoFundMe campaign for Alvarado was set up and had received over $14,000 in donations before his death was announced, with the total now at just over $21,000.

“Jorge, rest in paradise, brother… Your spirit was as alive as the ocean waves you loved to ride. You brought joy and adventure to everyone around you.

“You were always there to lift others up, encouraging everyone to push their limits and live life to the fullest. Your passion for surfing was only surpassed by your love for your friends and family,” said a message from Justin Gore, the organizer of the GoFundMe fundraiser.

Head injuries have become an increasing focus in the sports world, prompting companies to look for ways to better protect people.

Helmets are becoming more and more common in the world of surfing, with about half of the competitors on the Championship Tour and at the Olympic Games in Tahiti wearing helmets, as perceptions around helmet wearing are gradually changing.