Movie Reality: Gerard Butler's Mavericks Surf Rescue
Sometimes movie magic isn't so magical. While filming a surf scene at Mavericks for a new flick, actor Gerard Butler was pulled under the water and over rocks by a set of dangerous waves.
A popular big-wave surfing spot, Mavericks near Half Moon Bay is not for rookies. Butler was in the water with competitive surfers Greg Long, Zach Wormhoudt and Peter Mel on Sunday afternoon when a set of waves larger than 15 feet mowed the men down.
Wormhoudt told San Jose Mercury News that Butler was trapped underwater for two waves then swept over a rocky reef. Lucky for Butler, a safety patrolman riding a jet ski came to his rescue.
The actor was "shaken up but not seriously injured," according to Wormhoudt, and was transported to Stanford Medical Center for evaluation then released. A rookie surfer, Butler had little surfing experience prior to the film but made an effort to improve his skills before production began.
When "Of Men and Mavericks," a film detailing the life of Santa Cruz surfer Jay Moriarty, hits the silver screen, remember Butler's surfing hitch and cheers your $5 soda to him.
