Watch: Thiago Jacaré suffers a terrifying five-wave beating at Nazaré
This raw footage shows Brazilian Big Wave Surfer, Thiago Jacaré (35 ys old), charging into the first wave of a big set in Nazaré during yesterday’s monster swell.
Thiago manages to ride the wave until a bump makes him fall of his board and he gets immediately swallowed by a wall of white water, suffering an extensive hold down before resurfacing just in time to catch a quick breath, just before the next wave impact. His team mate, Big Wave Surfer David Langer, first attempts to rescue him with his jetski, but there’s no window of opportunity during the next waves of the set.
Thiago ends up taking with a total of 5 waves on the head (including the first wave) before he gets rescued by German Big Wave Surfer Sebastian Steudtner, in a moment where all teams in the water were requested to help with this rescue.
Thiago was safely taken to the beach, where a paramedic team was already expecting him with full support. Thiago managed to survive this incident without a scratch, although he was completely exhausted when he got to the beach, and he was immobilised and taken in by an ambulance, as safety measure.
Later on that same day, Thiago gave the following statement to the filmmaker who captured this footage: “This was by far the worst wipeout of my life, I barely got the chance to breath between waves, when I got to the sand I was completely exhausted, to the point I couldn’t even move” (…) “I want to thank Sebastian Steudtner for the rescue and David Langer for the tow, I won't ever forget this day!”.
Thiago Jacaré is an experienced Big Wave Surfer from Brazil, he worked many years as a professional lifeguard and has several rescue courses, Thiago is also involved in the organisation of Big Wave competitions in Brazil, when he is not chasing giant swells around the world.
Comments
Incredible fitness, endurance and mental resolve to survive that. Plus the requisite balls of steel to be out there in the first place.
needs to work on his wave choice though
How good are those ski drivers?
Someone’s going to die at that place soon
Well it won't be me!
Fucken maniacs those people.
Almost lost my breath seeing that second wave rear up just as he surfaced from the inital wipeout. Wild stuff.
Without flotation good chance he’d be dead hey?
I was thinking the same.
A goner.
white wetsuit seems like a bad choice.
First glimpse of the Brazilian wildcard entry into Master of the Temple.
lucky one more he was gone , body staved .
Skis - hate the fuckers in most lines ups but.....got to they those drivers have some serious skills. They make it possible.
They look as though they've got an amazing system of ski's, communication and medical staff on hand. Even with all of that, I tend to agree it's just a matter of time out there before someone dies.
Agreed, all this talk about safety etc. I'm no big wave expert but a white wetsuit somewhere like that is just crazy
Nightmare. Not knowing much about skis, do they struggle to get as much power in the frothy water? Looks like it. Must be a real fine line between wanting to get someone quick that’s underwater but doing it in a way that you’re not going to take someone’s head off if they pop up suddenly in front of you.
Yep, especially the turbo charged versions for some reasons. Yamaha's (I own one and had another before) seem to do better. But no way would i want to take one out in that madness!!
Are the ski drivers wearing inflatable vests? Should be if they’re not.
They have a system no doubt. I was just going to ask how do you get out there and they were on the beach. Gnarly set up and I think you have to have a few screws loose to surf it.
props to the ski driver
i agree - only a matter of time before someone dies there. hope we’re wrong. i suspect it will be someone going right rather than left - seems like going right there is irresponsibly dangerous for surfers and safety crew