Surfer Jacob Trette is in critical condition at the Stanford Medical Center after wiping out while surfing a giant wave Saturday at the site where the Mavericks surfing competition is held. This post by the San Francisco Surf Company's Cyrus Sataaz on the Chronicle's City Brights blog includes a good account of the accident. Surfline.com also talked to people involved in the competition that day.
River O'Mahoney Hagg was one of those unlucky enough to be caught inside. "It was a big, clean-up set, everyone was inside," he says. "I was pretty close to that kid. We were both paddling to get over it, but neither of us made it. I had a two-wave hold down and a broken board. Once on shore, we got him on his side and the water started coming out, he was still snoring." Hagg was one who helped while waiting for paramedics.
ESPN has put together a frame-by-frame breakdown of the mammoth wave and accident, and KTVU has raw video. It's disturbing to watch but quite frankly hard to turn away from.
Mark Foo, a professional surfer from Hawaii, died at Mavericks in 1994.
Related:- Law-breaking photographer saves the life of Maverick's surfer (GrindTV)
- Mavericks surfing videos (Surfline.com)
Update 12:45 p.m. KQED's Dan Brekke notes that