Arran Strong has been living with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency for most of his life. However, the illness didn’t stop him from pursuing his goal of representing Great Britain. He went on to compete at the 2024 and 2025 ISA World Surfing Games, where he became the top-ranked British male surfer both times. Now, just months after proudly wearing his country’s colors on the world stage, the 28-year-old has been presumed dead after disappearing off Portugal’s southern coast.

On July 29, GB Surfing released a statement: “GB Surfing is deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Arran Strong…His passing is a devastating loss to our sport and the wider surfing community, and he will be greatly missed.”

Strong went missing on the morning of July 27 while stand-up paddleboarding off Portugal’s Algarve coast with his longtime coach and close friend, José Maria Pyrrait. The pair were attempting a sea crossing from Monte Clérigo Beach to Carrapateira. Around 11:30 a.m., they stopped near Arrifana Beach to drink water and take a few photos before getting back on their boards.

According to an Instagram post shared by Pyrrait, who had known Strong since he was 10 years old, Strong paddled ahead, as he often did, because he was the faster paddler. But when Pyrrait stopped to wait, Strong was nowhere to be seen; his paddleboard was drifting alone about 100 meters away.

Pyrrait paddled immediately to the empty board and repeatedly dove in the water to find Strong. However, he later explained that the area was a “really deep area and visibility was very short.” Pyrrait ran out of options and contacted his partner, who was on shore, who notified emergency services.

The fisherman nearby rescued Pyrrait after he repeatedly dived in the water in search of Strong. After nearly two and a half hours scouring the area by boat, the Portuguese maritime authorities started a massive search and rescue mission with patrol boats and planes.  Speaking after the search, Pyrrait shared the reality of the situation, saying, “He’s still missing, unfortunately with practically zero chance of being alive.”

Despite several days of searching, no trace of Strong was found. On July 30, Portugal’s National Maritime Authority released a statement: “The search was called off early (on Wednesday) evening without the victim being located.” The update marked the end of the rescue effort, but it also brought back memories of the surfer whose life had been defined by resilience long before he entered the water.

Arran Strong overcame a rare illness to represent Great Britain

Arran Strong was born in Spain to a British family and was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency when he was just three months old. The rare inherited condition can damage the lungs and liver and often requires lifelong monitoring. During his early years, he spent a significant amount of time in hospitals undergoing tests and medical checkups.

Everything changed when his mother enrolled him in a surf school at the age of seven. By the time he was 10 years old, he had started competing in surfing events. Around the same age, he met Portuguese coach José Maria Pyrrait.

Determined to pursue the sport at the highest level, Strong moved to Ericeira, Portugal, at the age of 13, placing himself in one of Europe’s premier surfing destinations. Training in world-class waves helped him climb through the junior ranks, and in 2017 he finished fifth in Europe’s Under 18 rankings. The performance earned him a place on Great Britain’s team for the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship in Australia, the first of several opportunities to represent his country on the international stage.

As his competitive career gathered momentum, Strong never sought to conceal the condition that had plagued him since childhood. Instead, he has taken it up as his own story, and become an ambassador for the Lovexair Foundation and has chosen to promote awareness of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. He often encouraged others with chronic respiratory illnesses to stay active. That message remains his legacy, a legacy that lives on even after his untimely death.