Windy and partly cloudy this evening. Mostly cloudy with diminishing winds after midnight. Low 53F. W winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..
Windy and partly cloudy this evening. Mostly cloudy with diminishing winds after midnight. Low 53F. W winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Updated: June 3, 2026 @ 7:57 pm
Sandro Britz surfs on a wave. Britz died while surfing at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on May 28.
A surfer who lost his life after being rescued from choppy waters off San Francisco's Ocean Beach last week has been identified.
Sandro Ricardo Britz, a 55-year-old San Francisco resident and experienced surfer from Brazil, was identified by the city's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
At around 1:20 p.m. Thursday, the San Francisco Fire Department responded to a report of a distressed surfer in the water near Lincoln Way.
An off-duty National Park Service lifeguard who was surfing in the area, along with three on-duty lifeguards, noticed that Britz was waving his hands above his head, which is a recognized sign of distress, according to the fire department.
The lifeguards swam out to Britz and found him face down, unconscious and not breathing. They performed life-saving measures while taking him to shore before he was transferred to a hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The cause of death has not been released.
Friends and loved ones of Britz have set up a GoFundMe page for Britz's wife, Michelle Britz.
The page describes Britz as a "longtime resident of the Sunset District in San Francisco" who was "beloved by his friends, neighbors, and the surfing community."
The GoFundMe page is asking for donations to help with funeral costs and Michelle's living expenses. The page can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-michele-after-sandros-passing.
"Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference," the GoFundMe page reads.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Amy Sousa, a women's rights activist and psychologist, Keith Lierre, founder of Women's Libe… Read moreTalk at RWC Library - The transgender assault on Women and Girls
Join the San Mateo Daily Journal in Fiesta Hall at the Community Expo at the San Mateo County Fair! Read moreSan Mateo Community Expo at the Fair
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.