Gerard Butler Rescued While Filming Surf Movie At Mavericks

San Francisco Bay Guardian

HALF MOON BAY (CBS/AP) — Actor Gerard Butler is OK after being rescued during filming for a movie at Mavericks, a treacherous surf break off the Half Moon Bay coast known for stories-high waves.

The 42-year-old "Of Men and Mavericks" star was held underwater Sunday afternoon when a set of 15-foot waves rolled in.

Read more: Mavericks surf contest delayed.

Filmmakers were shooting Butler paddling out with competitive surfers Greg Long, Zach Wormhoudt and Peter Mel.

A safety patrolman on a Jet Ski swooped in and picked up Butler.

Wormhouldt said the actor was shaken up but not seriously injured. Butler was taken by ambulance to Stanford Medical Center for examination, and he was later released.

"Of Men and Mavericks" is about Santa Cruz surfer Jay Moriarty, who conquered Mavericks as a teen but died in a free-diving accident in 2001 when he was 23.

Butler's publicist Rupert Fowler didn't immediately respond to an email message sent Tuesday.

Photo caption: Gerard Butler attends the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards - nomination announcement held at The Beverly Hilton hotel on December 15, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic)