Star Surfer, 28, Presumed Dead After Search Called Off

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Professional British surfer Arran Strong is presumed dead after a four-day search was called off. The 28-year-old surfer went missing off the coast of Portugal, as reported to the Autoridade Maritima Nacional on Monday. Strong was with his coach, Jose Maria Pyrrait, who said they stopped surfing to drink some water and take pictures right before Strong went missing. Pyrrait recounted the events in an emotional tribute posted to Instagram. “I let him go ahead,” the coach began. “Since my pace is faster I always do that, when I would catch it and get a short lead I’d stop and wait for it. This time it was no different, but when I stopped to wait, I saw your board drifting about 100 meters away.” He further described the poor visibility of the area and how he called for rescue on land. GB Surfing also posted a tribute to the surfer. “Arran proudly represented Great Britain at the 2024 and 2025 ISA World Surf Games, finishing as our highest-placed male surfer on both occasions,” the post reads. “Arran was a fantastic teammate, respected competitor and a kind, generous presence... His passing is a devastating loss to our sport and the wider surfing community, and he will be greatly missed.”