For years, surfers arriving at San Francisco's Ocean Beach could count on seeing Sandro Ricardo Britz in the lineup.
Friends say he was the kind of person whose name came up almost anywhere along the beach.
Sandro was a longtime Sunset District resident, an experienced surfer originally from Brazil, and a familiar face in one of California's most demanding surf communities.
Now, the lineup is missing one of its regulars.
Britz, 55, died after a rescue at Ocean Beach on May 28.
His death has prompted an outpouring of grief across San Francisco's surfing community, where friends, neighbors, and fellow surfers have remembered him as a constant presence in the water and a deeply valued friend on shore.
"He was a decades-long Bay Area surfer and resident," Pam Morse wrote while sharing a fundraiser for his family.
"Always charging, always a light in the lineup."
Distress signals in heavy surf
The incident unfolded around 1:20 pm near Lincoln Way at Ocean Beach.
According to the San Francisco Fire Department, an off-duty National Park Service lifeguard who was surfing nearby and three on-duty National Park Service Ocean Rescue lifeguards noticed a surfer waving both hands above his head, a recognized distress signal, just outside the surf line.
At roughly the same time, firefighters received reports of a surfer in trouble.
The lifeguards immediately swam toward the surfer, later identified as Britz. When they reached him, they found him face down, unconscious, and not breathing.
"Upon reaching the distressed surfer, the lifeguards found an adult surfer who was face down, unconscious, and not breathing," the fire department said.
The rescuers began lifesaving efforts in the water while bringing Britz back to shore.
San Francisco Fire Department paramedics continued advanced life support treatment on the beach before transporting him to a local hospital in critical condition.
Despite those efforts, Britz was later pronounced dead.
The San Francisco Fire Department released videos and photographs showing the extensive rescue response.
Questions remain about the cause of death
Authorities have not released Britz's official cause of death.
Several reports have stated that investigators were examining whether a medical emergency may have occurred before he became unresponsive in the water.
Possibilities mentioned in reports included a cardiac event.
Britz's friend Ayrton Sobral, who was surfing nearby that day, said he did not believe drowning caused his death.
"His wife told me that they did not find water in his lungs, so he had a stroke that put him out," Sobral told KRON4.
Officials have not confirmed that account, and the incident remains under investigation.
The National Park Service told The Post that the case was still being investigated.
Ocean Beach at its most challenging
Ocean Beach has long carried a reputation as one of California's most difficult and unpredictable surf spots.
The National Park Service warns that the beach's powerful rip currents and changing conditions can pull people offshore. The agency says swimming at Ocean Beach is never safe.
Conditions on May 28 were especially severe.
A rare late spring west swell had pushed into Northern California, generating powerful double overhead surf more commonly associated with winter.
The larger swell intensified Ocean Beach's already complex sandbars, strong currents, and shifting peaks.
Overall conditions were extremely rough.
The National Weather Service had also issued a beach hazards statement for San Francisco and nearby coastal areas, warning of strong rip currents and sneaker waves.
San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Jonathan Baxter described the ocean as turbulent and unusually aggressive.
"We have large waves coming in very quickly, almost to the point where it looks like a washing machine cycle," Baxter said.
Even among experienced surfers, Ocean Beach commands respect.
Friends noted that Britz knew the break well and had spent years navigating its constantly changing conditions.
A life built around the ocean
Those who knew Britz say his connection to Ocean Beach ran much deeper than recreation.
Sobral said the two men spent years sharing sessions in the cold Pacific.
"If you walk here on the beach and talk to anyone, somebody knows him," Sobral said.
"He's that kind of guy who loved to be here at Ocean Beach. We tried to live in the water as much as we could. Water was our place."
Friends described Britz as someone who understood Ocean Beach's moods and dangers better than most. He was regarded as a regular, a surfer whose presence became part of the beach break's rhythm.
Photos on his Facebook profile show him surfing Ocean Beach as far back as 2009.
After news of his death spread, friends filled his social media pages with messages of disbelief and remembrance.
"Oh, my surf buddy," one friend wrote. "I'm not prepared for this."
"I am very sorry for your departure. I (had) the pleasure of being your friend," another posted.
One longtime friend wrote, "I can't believe we talked on Tuesday and you left without warning, but doing what you loved to do most, going down your last wave, rest in peace."
Another added, "See you soon on the other side, brother! Light in the room!"
Others remembered narrowly missing the scene that day.
"I missed you guys by minutes. I was hoping those trucks weren't for either of you. Godspeed and good waves."
A love story that began in Brazil
Beyond surfing, friends have focused on the life Britz built with his wife, Michele.
According to a GoFundMe page created to support her, the couple met in Brazil 14 years ago and fell in love there before building a life together in San Francisco.
"They have been inseparable ever since, working side by side and supporting each other through every challenge," the fundraiser says.
The couple operated a housecleaning business together and cared for their three dogs.
The fundraiser describes Britz as "beloved by his friends, neighbors, and the surfing community."
It also says, "Sandro was Michele's love, her rock, her North Star."
Following his death, the fundraiser was established to help cover funeral expenses, living costs, and the care of the couple's pets as Michele navigates life without her husband.
Donations quickly began to pour in. The campaign raised more than $30,000.
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