Pro surfer Alex Botelho somehow survives terrifying wave crash

Big wave surfer Alex Botelho was rushed to the hospital after a severe crash off the coast of Nazaré in Portugal, considered to be among of the most dangerous waters for surfers in the world.

The Portugal native was competing in the Nazaré Tow Surfing Challenge when he wiped out on a massive wave, prompting a jet ski rescue from his partner Hugo Vau. But on their way to shore, two massive walls of whitewater converged on the jet ski.

Harrowing video shows the waves launching both men well into the air, then swallowing them upon impact. Botelho was dragged to shore, apparently unconscious, and placed on a spinal board.

In an Instagram post, the World Surf League said Botelho was “stable and conscious” and will be held at the hospital for further evaluation.

“A heartfelt thank you to the safety and medical teams for their quick response,” the WSL wrote. “We are wishing Alex a full and speedy recovery.”

Fellow Portugese surfer Nic von Rupp weighed in on the gut-wrenching events on Instagram.

“Today I was confronted with the reality of our sport, heartbreaking watching my brother @alex_botelho between life and death right in front of the eyes of the world,” he wrote. “Honestly, very few would have survived.”

This was the first time that the WSL’s Big Wave tour visited Nazaré, which is notorious for having some of the biggest waves on the planet. In 2017, Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa set the world record for the largest wave ever surfed, which measured nearly 80 feet.

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