Surfer dies riding rough Gulf Coast waves as Hurricane Laura churns toward Texas
The mayor of Corpus Christi, Texas, ordered gulf beaches closed to vehicle access Wednesday after a 25-year-old surfer was killed trying to ride the powerful waves rolling in ahead of Hurricane Laura’s arrival, outlets report.
Hurricane Laura, now Category four, is expected to make landfall Wednesday night or early Thursday, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds.
But even Laura’s preamble was dangerous.
Corpus Christi first responders rushed to the beach just after 3 p.m. for a possible drowning, the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported.
They found the surfer injured at Packery Channel. He was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries, according to the outlet.
Mayor Joe McComb said the man had been slammed against a jetty by the rough waters, 3 News reported.
McComb’s order means beaches are shut off to all vehicle traffic until at least 10 a.m. Thursday, and the order could be extended.
A second person was also injured, according to Kris 6 News, but that person’s condition is unknown.
