Mad Dogs surfer Márcio Freire killed in Nazaré, Portugal

Famous Brazilian surfer Márcio Freire died on Thursday while surfing in the Portuguese town of Nazaré, reports The New York Times. Freire, 47, was one of the three Brazilian surfers featured in the 2016 documentary Mad Dogs, which recorded their attempt to conquer the giant wave "Jaws" in Hawaii.

The surfing hotspot of Nazaré "boasts some of the biggest waves in the world" due to an underwater canyon that creates powerful currents, explains Reuters. Freire was reportedly killed after falling while practicing tow-in surfing, a technique that requires the surfer to be dragged into giant waves by a jet ski.

"The rescuers found that the victim was in cardio-respiratory arrest, immediately starting resuscitation maneuvers on the sand. After several attempts, it was not possible to reverse the situation," Portugal's National Maritime Authority said in a statement, as reported by The Guardian.

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Many fans and surfers took to Instagram to pay their respects. "Your legacy will live on forever in our hearts. Until we meet again, my brother," fellow Mad Dog surfer Yuri Soledade wrote in an Instagram post.