Gerard Butler is OK after being held underwater by some big waves while filming for a movie about a surfer at Mavericks, a famed Northern California surf break known for treacherous, stories-high waves.
Filmmakers were shooting the 42-year-old “Of Men and Mavericks” star paddling out with competitive surfers Greg Long, Zach Wormhoudt and Peter Mel on Sunday afternoon, the San Mateo County Times reported (http://bit.ly/rwDfAI).
The four were steering clear of a set of waves in the 15-foot range when a much larger set broke in front of them, said Wormhoudt, of Santa Cruz.
Butler was held underwater for two waves and washed through some rocks while tethered to his surfboard, Wormhoudt said. A safety patrolman on a Jet Ski swooped in and picked up the actor.
Butler was shaken up but not seriously injured, Wormhoudt said. He was taken by ambulance to Stanford Medical Center for examination and was later released.
Wormhoudt said Butler had not surfed much before the movie but had made an effort to improve his surfing and water skills for the film.
The group had talked about what to do if they got mowed down by big waves, and Butler wasn’t trying to show off, Wormhoudt added
“Everything he was doing was within reason,” he said. “We took like four to five pretty big waves on the head. Basically there’s nothing you can do.
“It was intense for myself, and I’ve been through a lot out there.”
Butler’s publicist Rupert Fowler didn’t immediately respond to an email message sent Tuesday. Coastside Fire District Battalion Chief Ari Delay would say only that a surfer sucked under by waves was on the beach when paramedics arrived. He wouldn’t name the surfer.
“Of Men and Mavericks” is about Santa Cruz surfer Jay Moriarty, who conquered Mavericks as a teen but died in a free-diving accident in 2001 when he was 23.
Maverick’s cold water and giant waves have made it a Mt. Everest-like conquest for some surfers. And it has impacted many lives, whether it be the death of legendary big wave waterman or serious injury to less experienced surfers seeking to make a name for themselves.
Last January, a surfer nearly drowned at Mavericks after being pummeled and washed through rocks by a big wave. That surfer, 30-year-old Jacob Trette of San Clemente, was rescued by an Australian firefighter who was on a personal watercraft taking photographs of the surfers when a large “freak set” caught a pack of them too close to shore.
Even the world’s best surfers have been humbled by Mavericks, which has claimed its share of broken boards and bloodied surfers.
In 1994, Mark Foo, a seasoned big-wave surfer from Hawaii, died while surfing Mavericks. Ten-time surfing world champion Kelly Slater has also talked about how dangerous the wave is after getting held down after a wipeout there in 2000.
Supreme Court Allows Multibillion-Dollar Class Action Lawsuit To Proceed Against Meta
The Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.
The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump 's first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016.
Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company's shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company was disappointed by the court's action. "The plaintiff's claims are baseless and we will continue to defend ourselves as this case is considered by the District Court," Stone said in an emailed statement.
Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.
Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.
The lawsuit is one of two high court cases involving class-action lawsuits against tech companies. The justices also are wrestling with whether to shut down a class action against Nvidia.... Read More