Unconscious man dies on North Carolina beach, police say. Cause linked to surfing

A man found unconscious on a beach in southeastern North Carolina died in a “surfing accident,” police say.

He was identified as 39-year-old Bryan Richard Yurecka of Wilmington, Kure Beach police said in an Aug. 29 update.

A witness reported Yurecka as “an unconscious person on the beach” around 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, police said.

First responders found him in the 600 block of North Fort Fisher Boulevard, and he was declared dead after life-saving measures failed to restore a heartbeat, officials said.

There were clear signs of injury, but investigators have not released details.

“Officials with the Kure Beach Police, in conjunction with the NC Medical Examiner’s Office, have confirmed that the injury sustained by the victim during the incident due to a surfing accident,” police said.

Witness Wendy Harris reports Yurecka “was bleeding a lot” from a wound on his leg and a tourniquet was applied using a surfboard rope, according to WWAY. Harris suspected the cut was caused by his surfboard, the station said.

Among the dangers associated with surfing is the equipment itself, including surfboards, leashes and fins, experts say.

“A surfboard has a pointy nose and sharp fins that can easily cut your skin, injure your ears, hurt your eyes, and cause several fractures,” according to Surfer Today. “The leash is also potentially dangerous. It can get tangled around your neck or break and hit you in the eyes.”

Kure Beach is about a 145-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.

This story was originally published August 30, 2024 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Unconscious man dies on North Carolina beach, police say. Cause linked to surfing."