Community rallies around Volusia surfer fighting for life after crash

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, FL. – The Volusia County community is rallying around a surfer who is fighting for his life after a serious accident last week near Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores.

Beach safety officials said the incident occurred on Friday morning, when a 49-year-old man suffered a head injury while surfing and crashed into the pier.

Now his friends tell News 6 reporters Jorge Alvarado is on life support and fighting for his life in the hospital.

“Jorge personifies the phrase, ‘This is my little light, I’m going to let it shine,’” said his friend, Chis Chibbaro. “I think the most important thing is that he’s alive, he’s strong and he’s fighting.”

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Many friends say Alvarado is a fixture in the Volusia surfing community.

“He’s got this happy spirit, he makes friends with everyone really quickly. He’s kind of like all the young people in the community, he’s almost like their uncle and dad or something,” Brian Holmes said.

Chibbaro and Holmes are now among those standing by Alvarado in the hospital along with his family.

“We’ve all had hundreds of falls like this, some of us have come close to crashing, grazing the ground a few times, but to get that injury, you have to fall in the right way,” Holmes said.

Beach Safety officials said Alvarado was surfing near Sunglow Pier when he went under the water, possibly hitting his head on the sand or shallows. They said he was held underwater and then wrapped around a piling on the pier.

It took several minutes for other surfers, restaurant workers and others to free him.

“I know the busboy, Sam, saw him and was very active. There were several people on the scene who got to him and bravely went out to get him out and as soon as they got him out, Volusia County was here and got to work right away,” Chibbaro said.

Alvarado’s friends say they always take such risks in the water.

“Whenever you do something that involves risk, whether it’s motocross, deep sea fishing or surfing, everyone looks out for each other because we have to, and here, more than ever, family matters,” Chibbaro said.

A fundraiser has been set up for him on GoFundMe.

His friends tell News 6 he is a father and grandfather, but to many he is like a member of the family.

“We love you Jorge, we love you so much, we love your family and the whole world is rooting for you, I promise,” Chibbaro said.

Holmes added: “We’ll have you back in the water soon, mate.”

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