British Surfer Arran Strong Presumed Dead Off Portugal’s Coast
Professional surfer Arran Strong is presumed dead following a disappearance in the waters off Portugal, as confirmed by the UK’s sports authority. The 28-year-old was about a mile from the shore with his coach, Jose Maria Pyrrait, when they paused to drink water and take photos. After the break, Pyrrait allowed Strong to proceed ahead, but then lost sight of him.
“In short: we stopped off Arrifana to drink water and take some pictures. We were there for a few minutes talking, when we started again,” Pyrrait shared on Instagram. “I let him go ahead. 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.”
Arran Strong competed in Qualifying Round 2 of the ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro on August 21, 2020, at Pantin Beach in La Coruna, Spain. (Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
“This time it was no different, but when I stopped to wait, I saw your board drifting about 100 meters away. I paddled rapidly to get there, diving repeatedly in search, but we were in a deep area with limited visibility,” added Pyrrait.
Pyrrait quickly contacted his shore partner for assistance, and a local fisherman came upon him. They searched extensively for nearly two and a half hours using the boat’s sonar.
The Autoridade Marítima Nacional (AMN) informed BBC Sport that it received an alert regarding Strong’s difficulties at sea at 11:33 BST on Monday.
“The young man disappeared at sea while crossing from Monte Clerigo Beach to Carrapateira,” the AMN stated.
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A local fishing boat managed to rescue Strong’s friend who was with him. The AMN ended its search for Strong on Thursday. Pyrrait expressed Strong’s significance to him in a moving post.
“Arran was like a son to me; he had been training with me and spending weekends and holidays with me since he was ten years old. As I used to tell his mother, he was like the child of divorced parents. I loved him as if he were another son life had given me,” Pyrrait wrote.
“Curiously, he always used to say he would die young. Right now, I feel profound pain; my only faint consolation is that he passed away at sea—a place he loved so dearly. He was young, with a pure and good heart, but he is gone. I feel empty and weary, yet life goes on.”
Strong was the top-ranked British surfer when representing Great Britain in the last two World Surfing Games. He participated in the World Surf League for ten years.
GB Surfing released a statement regarding Strong’s “tragic passing” on Tuesday.
“Arran proudly represented Great Britain at the 2024 and 2025 ISA World Surf Games, finishing as our highest-placed male surfer on both occasions. Beyond his performances in the water, Arran was a fantastic teammate, respected competitor and a kind, generous presence whose passion for surfing left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” the statement read.
“His passing is a devastating loss to our sport and the wider surfing community, and he will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Arran’s family, friends, teammates and all those whose lives he touched.”