Big wave surfer found dead from apparent drowning two weeks after disappearing in Mexico
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Well-known California surfer Adam Francis D'Esposito was found dead two weeks after he disappeared in Mexico. (Facebook)
A well-known big wave surfer from California was found dead two weeks after he went missing in Mexico, his family confirmed.
The body of 39-year-old Adam Francis D’Esposito was found by Mexican officials in Baja Malibu near Rosarito earlier this month. A coroner determined the cause of death of was drowning, his sister told FOX 5 on Wednesday.
“Our hearts are heavy as we come to terms with the fact that he is no longer with us,” his sister, Briana D’Esposito, wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “He was a very charismatic person with a big heart, passionate personality and a deep love for surfing.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She said the details surrounding his death are still being sorted out.
The father of one had gone to Mexico on September 2 for a surfing vacation and to see his dad. While there, D’Esposito borrowed his father’s station wagon on September 6 and never returned.
Two days later, a local surf shop owner reported he had seen D’Esposito shoeless and shirtless and running on a highway between Tijuana and Rosarito, acting agitated, like someone was following him, NBC San Diego reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His sisters Briana and Mary told reporters that Mexican authorities had found his body – without identification – on September 6, but they weren’t notified until days later despite a massive search underway for Adam.
They said their brother had been struggling with mental illness and that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, NBC San Diego reported.
“Since my brother is a big wave surfer, spending the better part of the last 20 years in Tahiti surfing some of the most dangerous waves in the world – it’s very hard for us and many of his friends to believe he would just drown,” Mary told the news station. “It seems like there has to be some more to the story that led him to that point.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The nomadic surfer leaves behind a 6-year-old daughter.
“He had a huge heart for his young daughter and enjoyed spending so much time with her in his last few months,” Briana wrote on Facebook. “The impact that he had on so many was incredibly evident to my family through your support, love and efforts to help us during a highly stressful & worrisome time. We thank all of you from the bottom of hearts.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help his daughter.