On Tuesday morning, during a very large south swell at Puerto Escondido, Brazilian bodyboarder/kitesurfer Rafael Piccoli took off on a giant left, pulled in and the wave closed out and he didn’t make it. “Apparently, he hit the bottom and went unconscious and drowned,” said longtime Puerto photog Edwin Morales. “No one realized that it happened. Such a bummer.”
Lifeguards attempted to resuscitate Piccoli’s body once it got to shore, but it was too late. A neck injury sustained from hitting bottom was suspected.
Rafael Piccoli. Photo: Edwin Morales
“I met him last week and he came to Puerto with the goal of taking the best biggest wave of his life,” said longtime Puerto photog Edwin Morales. “He also dreamed of surfing big waves like Nazare and Jaws. In the little time I knew him, he was very respectful and seemed like a guy with a lot of determination. He actually told us a couple days before the swell that he felt this immense anxiety that wouldn’t allow him to sleep at night. Only God knows, but maybe he already knew what was coming. Super sad story.”
Rafael’s Facebook photo.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Piccoli’s friends and family.
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