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A beloved Australian surfer living in Indonesia has passed away at one of the country’s famed surf breaks. Gunther Kitzler, a Bondi native who had made Indonesia his home, tragically drowned at G-Land in East Java on Monday.
As the Basarnas search and rescue agency in Surabaya told The Sydney Morning Herald, Kitzler paddled out around 5:30 Monday morning with two other surfers. Approximately 15 minutes later, they saw his surfboard floating in the water, with Kitzler still attached by his leash. They attempted to get Kitzler to shore, but a large wave came in, snapped the leash and swept him away.
The two surfers reported the incident to their hotel, who then alerted authorities. As 9 News Australia reports, rescuers searched for Kitzler from land, because the tide was too high to launch a boat.
Kitzler’s body was found around 8:45 A.M. the following day, more than 24 hours later. Strong currents had swept him away to Grajagan beach, Banyuwangi, about three miles from where he disappeared. From there, he was taken to Blambangan General Hospital, but couldn’t be revived.
According to the SMH, it is currently unknown what caused Kitzler to initially lose consciousness.
Kitzler, also known as “The Big G,” was a larger than life figure. As surf photographer Jason Childs wrote in a tribute via Instagram story “The lineup parted when The Big G paddled for a wave.”
