Carlos Burle Rescued From Giant Nazaré Wave, Released From Hospital

Overview

• Carlos Burle, 58, fell on a towering wave at Nazaré and was held down by successive sets before being pulled to safety.
• Lucas Chumbo reached him first but had his jet-ski flipped, then jumped in and inflated Burle’s vest as big-wave rider Willyam Santana arrived to complete the extraction.
• Santana transported Burle to the beach for oxygen and medical care, after which Burle was hospitalized, discharged the same day, and later decided to return to Brazil.
• In a video statement, Burle said a hand-held camera hindered both his underwater management and the handoff to rescuers, calling for full priority on safety over filming.
• Video of the fall and rescue circulated on social media, and separate incidents involving Brazilian surfers such as Lucas Fink underscored especially hazardous conditions at Nazaré.