Florida Surfer Dies After Colliding With Daytona Beach Pier

Friday, September 13 began as a regular morning at Sunglow Pier until Jorge Alvarado, a 49-year-old surfer from Port Orange, Florida fell, hit his head on a shallow sand bar, and slammed into a pier piling. These blows knocked him out cold.

Nearby surfers scrambled to drag him from the water, his body heavy and limp as they reached the shore. Lifeguards moved in, hands pumping his chest with CPR, but the fight was slipping away.

He was rushed to hospital and plugged into life support, but on Monday, September 16, Jorge’s battle quietly ended, his body giving in to the head trauma sustained a few days before. 

“It is with a heavy heart that Jorge has passed away and gone home to be with the Lord,” wrote Justin Gore, who started a GoFundMe to help cover the medical expenses. So far, the campaign has pulled in over $21,000 USD of its $25k goal.

Jorge was said to be a pillar of the Floridian surfing community, his passing leaving behind a frayed rope of grieving friends and family.

“It’s the smile. It’s taking care of one another. That’s Jorge’s legacy,” said Chris Jibbaro, a close friend left to mourn.

Jorge Alvarado’s death is a cold slap, reminding us of the fragility of our human skulls, especially in our sport. Late last year, João Chianca almost died in Hawaii after a blow to the head at Backdoor, while Sterling Spencer’s ongoing struggles highlight the ugly and often-overlooked repercussions of head trauma.

These incidents expose how little we truly understand about the organ rattling around in our own heads. Being conscious, after all, seems to be the only delusion that doesn’t go away when one stops believing in it. Best we do what we can in order to remain as we are.