An incoming swell brings with it the promise of firing surf, but there is always a darker side of that coin. This week, a swell headed for the Caribbean led to tragedy, when a local surfer in Puerto Rico lost his life.
The news that a solid swell was headed for the Caribbean came through last week. Surfline predicted an initial “modest pulse” that would hit Friday and Saturday, producing chest to shoulder-high surf. A few days later, a larger swell was slated to land, which was expected to result in waves as high as double overhead.
Sadly, that second, bigger swell resulted in tragedy. As the Associated Press reports, Puerto Rico local Robert “Bobby” Oldsman died Monday, while surfing at Tres Palmas in the town of Rincón.
Oldsman, 72, was originally from Massachusetts, but had made a home for himself in Puerto Rico. According to the AP, he was well-known in Rincón and in the local surfing community.
According to Rincón Water Safety, Oldsman was hit by his board and lost consciousness before anyone could rescue him.
Posts on social media eulogized Oldsman as a “Rincon legend,” as commenters praised the surfer for his good nature out of the water.
