The waves off the coast of Monterey were perfect — glassy, towering, and rolling in under a golden sunrise. For 31-year-old bodyboarder Tomas Butterfield, it was the kind of morning surfers dream about.
But just minutes after paddling out, that dream turned into a nightmare witnessed by a handful of stunned beachgoers.
The First Sign of Trouble
Tomas had just caught a clean, steep wave when a sudden commotion erupted in the water behind him. Witnesses described a “dark shadow” streaking beneath the surface. Some thought it was a dolphin. It wasn’t.
Seconds later, the water erupted. Tomas was ripped violently from his board, his leash snapping under the force. His bright red fins spun away in the foam as the swell flattened.
A Desperate Struggle
A fellow surfer, paddling 20 meters away, heard a muffled yell before seeing a massive dorsal fin slice through the water. Beachgoers screamed. Someone grabbed a phone and called 911, while others sprinted toward the shoreline waving frantically.
Rescue crews launched within minutes, but the Pacific had already swallowed its secrets. Lifeguards pulled Tomas from the water and began CPR on the sand, but the injuries were catastrophic. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Final Sunrise
Friends say Tomas was fearless, chasing the heaviest breaks without hesitation. In a haunting Instagram post the night before, he’d captioned a photo:
“If it’s my time, let it be in the waves.”
For those who watched his last ride, that wish — tragically — came true.