American professional surfer Mikala Jones has died after a fatal surfing accident off the coast of Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands.

The loss of Jones, 44, who was from Hawaii, sent shockwaves through the surfing community. He was cherished as one of the sport’s greats, heralded for his ability to ride breaking waves.

Tributes poured in over social media shortly after his death was announced.

Details around the cause of death are unclear.

Jones’ daughter Isabella confirmed her father’s death in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“Dad got into a bad surfing accident and didn’t make it,” she wrote.

She also shared childhood photos of the two together.

“I wish you were still here with us, you weren’t supposed to leave yet. This is too soon,” she wrote.

Jones built his surf following by capturing GoPro footage of himself riding inside giant waves that would tower over his head moments before crashing down.

“Between his countless cover shots and video parts and his mesmerizing GoPro footage, Mikala was easily one of the 21^st Century’s most photogenic surfers,” magazine Surfline wrote.

The professional surfing community took to social media to pay their respects.

“So shattered to hear the news,” three-time surfing World Champion Mick Fanning wrote.

“He was a wonderful person an incredible artist, his GoPro photos were mind-blowing,” Brian Bielmann, a surf photographer, wrote on Instagram.

“We’re gonna miss him so much.”

Reef, an apparel company for which Jones was previously an ambassador, released a statement in his memory, calling Jones “a contemporary surfing POV content creator ahead of his time” and “arguably one of the most barreled surfers on the planet”. (BBC)

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