The League of Austen Artists: Gerard Butler's 'near death' surfing mishap (Game On)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Gerard Butler's 'near death' surfing mishap (Game On)

Dec 20, 2011

By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY

Updated 5h 26m ago

In this Dec. 15, 2011 file photo, actor Gerard Butler announces nominations for the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Butler is OK after being rescued during filming for a movie at Mavericks, a treacherous Northern California surf break known for stories-high waves.

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By Chris Pizzello, AP Photo

Actor Gerard Butler was hospitalized after being pummeled by big waves while filming a new surfing movie over the weekend, according to ESPN.com.
Butler was held under water after being caught inside at Mavericks, the notorious big wave surf spot in Northern California where several surfers have been killed.

The 42-year old action star of 300 was shooting a new film called Of Men and Mavericks when he was pounded by a set of 12-16 foot waves. Butler was held underwater for several waves and dragged through rocks until rescued by a safety worker on a jet ski.

"He was down at least 20, maybe 40 seconds. It's traumatic because you're rolling around a bunch with lots of rocks on the inside of the break — called the bone yard," surfer Zach Wormhoudt told the New York Daily News. "We all went through that."

In this Feb. 13, 2010 file photo, Evan Slater, top, surfs a giant wave over Darryl 'Flea' Virostko during the first heat of the Mavericks surf contest in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The world's best big wave surfers will have to wait another year for the chance to compete in the most prestigious and perilous contest at the northern California break called Maverick's.

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By Ben Margot, AP Photo

When the shaken actor emerged from the water, "he had that 100-yard stare that surfers get after a two-wave hold-down or near-death experience," wrote Frank Quirarte on ESPN.com (The photographer also shot some interesting pictures of the incident).
Butler was taken by ambulance to Stanford Medical Center for observation, then released. His rep said:

He's fine. Very scary. They brought him to Stanford University. More scary than anything. For precaution, we all wanted him checked out after it all happened. Came out with flying colors.

Butler portrays s a surfer in the new flick about big wave legend Jay Moriarity, who surfed Mavericks at age 16 before dying in a free-diving accident in 2001.
With its giant waves that can reach several stories high and rocky shore, Mavericks near Half Moon Bay, Calif., has been a graveyard for even the best surfers. Pro surfer Mark Foo died at Mavericks in 1994. Another big wave rider, Sion Milosky, drowned after enduring a two-wave hold-down earlier this year.