Authorities in Portugal have ended the search for British professional surfer Arran Strong after he disappeared while paddle boarding off the country’s Atlantic coast.
Rescue teams were alerted on Monday morning to the coastal resort of Arrifana, where the 28-year-old was reported missing in the ocean.
Strong had been taking part in an ambitious 560-mile paddle boarding challenge alongside his friend Jose Maria Pyrrait, who said he suddenly noticed Strong’s board drifting roughly 100 metres away.
Portugal’s National Maritime Authority (AMN) has since confirmed that the operation to find the British surfer was stood down on Wednesday.
GB Surfing paid tribute to Strong on Instagram, describing itself as “deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Arran Strong,” who was the highest-ranked British male surfer at both the 2024 and 2025 IS World Surf Games.
The organisation said: “Beyond his performances in the water, Arran was a fantastic team-mate, respected competitor and a kind, generous presence whose passion for surfing left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
“His passing is a devastating loss to our sport and the wider surfing community, and he will be greatly missed.”
In a statement on its website, the AMN said: “The search was called off early (on Wednesday) evening without the victim being located.”
British surfer Arran Strong went missing during a stand-up paddle boarding excursion off the coast of Portugal
Police and coastguards were continuing to search for 28-year-old on Tuesday but confirmed on Wednesday they had called the search off
Mr Strong was born in the UK but had been based in Portugal since he was a child
‘According to available information, the young man disappeared at sea after running into trouble while attempting to cross from Monte Clerigo Beach to Carrapateira; the friend accompanying him was rescued by a nearby local fishing vessel, which also recovered the board the victim had been using.’
Mr Strong had competed on the Olympic stage after his 2016 fifth-place finish in the European Under 18s – which earned him an invitation to represent Great Britain at the WSL World Championship in Australia.
Reflecting the day after his friend’s disappearance, Mr Pyrrait said: ‘Today was a day of irreparable loss and profound sadness.
‘Arran Strong, who accompanied me during the stage between Zambujeira and Monte Clerigo, is no longer with us.
‘Yesterday, during the stage that was to take us from Monte Clerigo to Carrapateira, he disappeared from his board while we were about a mile offshore from Arrifana.
‘To sum it up, we stopped off Arrifana to drink some water and take a few photos.
‘We stayed there for a few minutes talking, and when we set off again, I let him go ahead.
‘As my pace is faster, I always did that. When I caught up with him and gained a short lead, I would stop and wait for him.’
Mr Strong had been paddle boarding off the coast of Arrifana with a friend when he went missing
Mr Pyrrait said he had ‘stopped to wait’ as usual but this time saw the surfer’s board ‘drifting about 100 metres away’.
He said: ‘I paddled to it as fast as I could, dived over and over again looking for him, but we were in a very deep area, and visibility was extremely poor.
‘I called my support partner on land, who immediately alerted the rescue services.
‘A local fisherman picked me up, along with the boards, and we spent nearly two and a half hours searching the entire surrounding area with the boat’s sonar. He remains missing to this day and, sadly, there is virtually no chance that he is still alive.’
Paying tribute to his relationship with Mr Strong, Mr Pyrrait said he had been ‘like a son’ to him – with the pair training together since he was ten years old and spending weekends and holidays together.
He added: ‘As I used to tell his mother, he was like the child of divorced parents. My love for him was like the love for another son that life had given me.
‘Strangely enough, he always told me he would die young. Right now, I feel a deep pain. The only faint comfort is that he departed at sea, the place he loved most.
‘He was young, with a pure and kind heart, but he is gone. I feel empty and exhausted, but life goes on. I know he would never have accepted me stopping because of him.
‘He was resilient like few others, so I will pause for a few days and, God willing, on Sunday, 2 August, I will resume the crossing – in mourning, but with Arran in my heart.
‘For him, and for all the beautiful memories I have, despite the pain I carry with me, I will reach the end, if God wills it.
‘Rest in peace, my “son”.’
Mr Strong was born in the UK but had been based in Portugal since he was a child.
The accomplished surfer revealed in an old social post that he was looking for sponsors for his ‘dream’ of competing in the 2020 Olympics, where he flagged up his achievements in his younger years, which included a fifth ranking in the 2016 European Juniors.
A well-placed source within the search operation had said ‘all the information gathered so far points to the possibility he had a health issue while paddling.’
