Who was hurt by a rogue wave at the Mavericks Surf Competition?”
tampabay.com has more information: Crashing waves leave fans injured at major surfing event Crashing waves leave fans injured HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — Despite warnings, two walls of water caught dozens of spectators at the Mavericks Surf Contest off-guard. And 13 swept from a seawall had significant injuries, including broken legs and hands, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. It estimated “a couple hundred” people were on the seawall about 25 miles south of San Francisco when the waves struck, upstaging the competition that draws 24 of the world’s top surfers. “It’s a force of nature that can’t be predicted,” Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert said. “We were very lucky that nobody was swept out to sea.” The event offers a $150,000 purse, making it the world’s most lucrative big-wave contest. Competitors voted to schedule it because forecasts called for record-breaking waves despite warnings that strong winds could
HALF MOON BAY, CA – The Mavericks Surf Contest near Half Moon Bay was won Saturday by Chris Bertish after a wild morning in which at least 13 spectators were injured when strong waves washed over a sea wall on the beach. The contest, which included 24 surfers from around the world, was held in the waters about a half-mile from Pillar Point Harbor. Contest co-director Katherine Clark said the waves “were larger than any they’ve had before for the Mavericks event.” The large swells caused problems for spectators when, at about 8:50 a.m., a few waves crashed into a group of nearly 200 people, part of the throngs of onlookers viewing the competition from the shore, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert said. Many people were swept off their feet, and at least 13 were treated for various injuries. The injuries to three people were serious enough to require a trip to the hospital, including fractures and one person with a broken leg, Jalbert said. Nobody got swept out to the water, Jalbert
Spectators hurt by rogue wave at surfing event Unexpected waves breaking on shore Saturday swept dozens of spectators from their perches on the man-made jetty at the southern tip of Mavericks beach. Most escaped with minor injuries but three people were hospitalized with broken bones. Others needed plucking from the water. The near tragedy stood as a reminder of how dangerous the sea can be.
