Brazilian Marcio Freire, one of the world’s most famous surfers, drowned on Thursday while training in huge waves off Nazare in Portugal, local maritime authorities said, as cited by Reuters.

Surfing in NazaréPhoto: Eduardo Barrento / Alamy / Profimedia Images

Rescuers managed to bring the 47-year-old surfer to the shore, but attempts to resuscitate him failed.

Freire is said to have died while practicing “tow surfing,” a technique in which a surfer is usually towed by a jet ski to gain more speed than he could do on his own just by paddling his arms.

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A post shared by Marcio Freire (@maddogimages)

Freire was one of three Brazilian surfers who became known as the “Mad Dogs” after riding the giant wave “Jaws” in Hawaii.

The three were featured in a 2016 documentary named after their shared pseudonym.

A wave of tribute to the Brazilian surfer

Surfers around the world paid tribute to Freire on Instagram, where he was active.

“He surfed all day with a smile on his face. This is how I will keep it as a memory. A legend,” wrote Nick Von Rupp, another big wave surfer.

“Today we lost a wonderful person, a very good friend and legendary surfer Marcio Freire. He was such a happy spirit, always with a smile on his face… Rest in peace my friend,” sports photographer Fred Pompermeier wrote.

Nazare, a small town of less than 15,000 people, boasts some of the biggest waves in the world. They are reinforced by an underwater canyon 5 kilometers deep, which ends exactly where the Atlantic Ocean meets the shore near the former fishing village.

In 2011, American Garrett McNamara put Nazare on the world surfing map when he set the world record for the largest wave ever ridden at 23.77 meters.

His record was also broken in Nazare by Brazilian surfer Rodrigo Cox in 2017, followed by German Sebastian Staudtner, who conquered a wave of 26.21 meters.