Professional surfer Arran Strong, 28, is presumed dead four days after he went missing at sea in Portugal. The Autoridade Maritima Nacional (AMN) confirmed on Thursday that its search for Strong had been called off.
The surfer disappeared on Monday while crossing from Monte Clerigo beach to Carrapateira. The AMN was alerted to his disappearance around 11:30 a.m.
Strong was with his coach, Jose Maria Pyrrait, when he went missing. Pyrrait was rescued by a local fishing boat nearby and did not witness the moment Strong disappeared. He reported that they had stopped off Arrifana to drink water and take photographs. Pyrrait wrote on Instagram that after they resumed paddling, he noticed Strong's board drifting about 100 meters away. He searched the water for approximately two and a half hours with the boat's probe, but visibility was poor in the deep area.
Strong competed on the World Surf League tour for a decade and represented Great Britain in the previous two World Surfing Games, achieving the highest-ranked British surfer status in both events. GB Surfing described Strong as a "fantastic team-mate, respected competitor and a kind, generous presence whose passion for surfing left a lasting impression."
Pyrrait, who had known Strong since he was 10, expressed deep sorrow, calling the surfer like a son to him. "My love for him was like another son that life gave me," he wrote. "At this moment I feel a deep pain, there is the tiny solace that left at sea, a place I loved so much."