Aloha way brothers, On Sunday a very good and long time friend from Carlsbad died while surfing. His name was Lamar White and he was around 62 the same age as me. He was riding his last wave in and fell off in the swallow water and hit his head and got knocked out. Nobody saw it happen I heard and by the time they got to him his brain had just been to long without oxygen. I guess the doctors thought he might pull through but they did a test and he was brain dead so they had to pull the plug. We went all the way back to Jr high and surfed quite a few waves in our time. He was so looking foreward to me moving back and was going to help me get my neck loose enough so I could bend my head back enough to see what was in front of me when paddleing. I was not familar with the surf spot other than it was somewhere's in the Carlsbad area he surfed it a lot, might make the local news there. One great thing was the last thing he remembered was riding a wave and I hope that we as surfers are as lucky when our time comes. Rest in Peace Lamar White. Aloha,Kokua
Here’s a link: http://surf.transworld.net/1000106834/news/oceansides-marlon-%E2%80%9Clamar%E2%80%9D-white-passes-away/
Prayers to all those suffering loss.
ps. If I could choose a way to go…
Sorry for your loss. Lately it seems like the pace of losses seems to be picking up. Boomers getting older, I guess.
I’ll tell you what, though; if I had a choice in choosing the circumstances of my demise I can think of a whole lot of worse ways to go.
Howzit Pete, Another friend sent me that same link and I just finished reading it and replying . Lamar's daughter told me there is a website that is about buckineer beah,are you familar with it and could you send me the link if you are.Aloha,Kokua
Sorry about your friend kokua. Seems tragic. We need to look out for each other in the water. Mike
Howzit rooster, You got that right since no one saw it happen but there is a post on the transworld surf page about a a pretty radical sand bar that he may have hit. If some one had seen it they could have gotten to him before his brain went to long without oxygen and he would be alive now. One good thing is he was a organs donor so he may have saved anothers life while losing his own, I miss him already. Aloha with a heavy heart,Kokua
Aloha Kokua, sorry for your loss. I feel for you and his family. This is another big reason I don’t like surfing in crowds. You’d think it would be different with so many people in the water but we all get lost in the shuffle. No one really pays attention because the next guy will or is closer to the action. When I’m out with just a few friends or new friends it becomes natural to take turns and to rotate and exchange hoots on the way back out. When I don’t notice a guy for a while I look around to check his position and so do the others. Whether we want to admit it or not there is a shared responsibility in the water (OR SHOULD BE!) I had a new board made for my brother by good "ol Mike Casey and couldn’t wait for him to come over so we could surf together again, the first time in many years.
He never made it.
Quite a while later, I took the board unridden by anyone, I paddled it out on a full moon night to Lani"s waaaaay outside and turned it loose. I’ve always wondered where it ended up.
My heart breaks for you Brother, Peace and Prayers to you and all his friends and family.
Hi Kokua, Used to surf there in the early 80’s. Beachbreak close-outs mostly, just a drop and a turn. I would go after work in the winter to get in 30 mins or so before dark. Couple of miles south of the Oceanside pier. I moved on further south to Tamarack and Terramar around '85 and lost touch with the regulars at Buccaneer. Here’s a link to the place: http://www.sandiegocoastlife.com/san-diego-beaches/beaches-buccaneer-beach.html
Howzit Pete, Yeah Lamar told me i wasn't a real good wave but it was not far from his house and he had lots of friends there. I really wanted to get a taste of Hnalei but the time he and the wife came here was during the summer so it was more golf than surfing. I told him next time to come when we had waves and not toworry because I knew everyone in the water and would make sure he got some good ones. Since it isn't all that good of wave here probably isn't much of a crowd and that might be another reason he surfed there and even the not so good spots have good days once in a while. Aloha,Kokua