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Eric Foraker, owner of the Southern Mentawai Outpost resort, located at Thunders in the Mentawai Islands, tragically perished yesterday.
As Surfers of Bali reports, the incident occurred when Foraker was out at the Rags surf break with two other surfers. When he failed to return to the boat around 6:30 p.m., his companions sounded the alarm and kicked off a search. Mentawai Search and Rescue joined the effort and a broken surfboard was found on the edge of the water on Pitoijat Island at around 12:30 a.m.
The following morning, at 8:00 a.m., Mentawai Search and Rescue was informed by the public that Foraker had been found dead. His body was evacuated to Sikakap health center.
For over 20 years, Foraker has been a beloved fixture in the Mentawais. According to the bio on Foraker’s website, he began his journey in the islands by working on the surf charter boat Strictly Business. After two and a half years, he moved on to captain the charter boat Addiction. At the helm of Addiction, he led more than 200 charters, delivering over a 1,000 people the kind of “perfect surf trip” that had originally drawn him to the island chain. As Eric wrote, “Chance encounters and seized opportunities led me to acquire some land at Thunders, and for years I have labored to make the perfect surf resort.”
Eric is survived by his wife and daughter, who lived with him at the surf camp, as well as another son.
