Photo: Brent Bielmann/World Surf League/Getty
A surf cinematographer died shortly after capturing his final wave on camera during a stand-up paddle board session with friends.
Photographer Mike Prickettconfirmed the news of Larry Haynes’s death on Thursday to Hawaii-basedtelevision station KHON2, expressing that his death was unexpected since he had worked behind the scenes filmingThe Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitationalonly a few weeks prior.
“We were so, so shocked. He just did the Eddie Aikau with us. He did the Pipe contest. He does everything with a smile; and then, we just lost him,” said Prickett. “He caught a wave at Laniakea. And, then, he came in and collapsed.”
Musician David Elecciri Jr alsoconfirmed the news of his death, explaining in an Instagram post that the collapse caused him to have a heart attack in his car and that he had just called him a few hours prior to heading to the beach inviting him to lunch.
After lifeguards asked the surfer’s friends to collect Haynes' paddle board from the beach on Friday, Prickett discovered Haynes' Go-Pro in which Haynes captured his final wave.
The video shows the cinematographer concentrating as he prepares to paddle through the towering wave alongside his friends.
“He always wore that huge smile every time I would see him out shooting at Pipeline or Jaws,” hecontinued in the post’s caption. “You never think your heroes are ever going to move on. They’re too good, too strong, larger than this life and world we live in. Thank you@fluid_visionfor the laughs, smiles and aloha your shared with all of us. You were taken from us way too soon. It’s not going to be the same without you.”
“Many of our fans might not know him, but you know his work,” he wrote in an Instagram post alongside a variety of pictures of Haynes. “Larry was always in the water, on the back of a ski, hooting and hollering at the surfers on every wave. His stoke and life force was real. No matter if the waves were XXL or if they were small, his smile was the same. He will be missed, sorely.”
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Hiswork portfolioboasts over thirty years of skill that includes work behind helmet cams, jet ski cams, and water videography. Hefounded his own production company, Fluid Vision Productions, Inc., in 2015.
According to surfing publicationStab Magazine, he is alsoremembered for working on filmssuch as 2012’sChasing Mavericksand the 1990s underground seriesFluid Combustion.
source: people.com
