TORONTO – Brazilian surfer Carlos Burle may have set a world record for the largest wave ever surfed but not before saving a fellow rider who nearly drowned in a super swell.
Burle caught the massive wave in Praia do Norte, just off Portugal’s central coast, Monday afternoon. The previous record was set by Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara in November 2011, when he rode a 78-foot-tall monster wave.
Burle rode the swell shortly after coming to the aid of fellow surfer Maya Gabeira, who nearly drowned after breaking her ankle while attempting to ride a wave.
According to CBS News, initial estimates of the height of Burle’s wave were close to 100-feet-tall.
“It was luck. We never know when we will be catching the wave. I still hadn’t surfed any wave and everyone had already had their rides. Maya almost died,” Burle told Surfer Today. “For me, it was a big adrenaline moment to get back there after what happened.”
Gabeira was face down in the ocean for a short time before Burle came to her aid and brought her to shore.
CPR was performed on Gabeira on the shoreline before she was taken to hospital, where she is currently recovering.
“My dear friends, a broken ankle. Nothing more… Some salt water, but you know!” Gabeira wrote on her Facebook page. “I just need some prayer for a speedy recovery!!! Love u all.”
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