Mikala Jones, Pro Surfer, Dead At 44 After Tragic Accident

Hawaiian pro surfer Mikala Jones has died following a surfing accident on June 9. He was 44. TMZ reported that the incident occurred at the Awera Resort in North Sipora, Indonesia, where he was vacationing with his wife and three children. The fatal accident reportedly involved a severed femoral artery believed to have been caused by a surfboard fin. Since the tragic news broke, Mikala's death has been met with an outpouring of tributes from his friends and family.

Surfing legend Mick Fanning has also paid his respects to Mikala, whom he described as funny and a true champion of love and kindness. "So shattered to hear the news. Mikala, you were one of a kind. Funny, mellow, an explorer, a pioneer but most of all loving husband and father," Fanning wrote on Instagram. 

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Born in Rocky Point in Hawaii, per Stab, Mikala Jones reportedly moved to Bali, Indonesia in a quest to find unexplored surf areas. This move, it appears, would go on to cement Jones' name in the surfing world as he went on to discover many unexplored spots and championed their preservation. Beyond his passion for surfing, however, Jones was also respected for his commitment to documenting many of his surfing. Particularly, Jones was known for his use of a GoPro in his many adventures. "Mikala is one of the best barrel filmers we've ever worked with," GoPro's creative director Bradford Schmidt once said of him, per The Surfer's Journal. "It's not just how much time he spends in the barrel, but how conscious he is of the angles, the water drops, and the exact shot he's getting."

Jones landed on the covers of several surfing magazines including The Surfers Journal. While confirming his tragic passing, Surfline praised the athlete for his great looks, describing him as one of the century's most photogenic surfers. Beyond being a trailblazer, Jones was apparently able to pass down his love for surfing to his two children whom he shared with his wife Emma Brereton. "Hopefully I'll be doing more trips with my daughters," he said in the interview with TSJ. "We've been taking them around the world since they were very little and they love to travel."