Andy Irons, three-time world champion surfer and one of Hawaii’s best-ever big-wave riders, was found dead Tuesday in a Dallas hotel room.
Honolulu’s Star Advertiser reports his death is being investigated as a possible methadone overdose.
The 32-year-old surfer had been suffering from dengue fever, a tropical illness with symptoms including severe headaches and joint pain. Methadone, a powerful pain-management drug, was reportedly found in his hotel room at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.
An autopsy was performed Wednesday, with toxicology results expected in 60-90 days.
Irons withdrew from the Rip Curl Pro Search surfing competition last weekend in Puerto Rico because of his illness and was traveling home to Hawaii.
Irons was discovered in bed Tuesday morning by staff members at the Grand Hyatt Hotel at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after failing to respond to a wake-up call. Hotel employees alerted emergency personnel, who pronounced him dead at 9:46 a.m, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Irons’s agent Steve Astephen said in a text message, “Sad day. We lost an amazing person.”
On Wednesday, the event in Porta del Sol, Puerto Rico, was postponed, and fellow surfers and fans held a “paddle out” memorial service. They gathered in the water, forming a circle, then joined hands and raised them to honor Irons.
Check out video of Irons surfing below: