Joe Roland, a well-known surfer from Ponte Vedra Beach, passed away Thursday morning after being found unresponsive in the water. His surfboard was still attached to his ankle when beachgoers discovered him, according to reports.

Emergency crews arrived around 8 a.m. and immediately began giving aid. Roland was taken to a nearby hospital but did not survive.

“Godspeed Joe Roland,” Jacksonville Beaches Info posted on Instagram. “Probably the biggest legend to ever come out of North Florida dies after a surf session in Ponte Vedra.”

Roland made history as the first men’s champion of the East Coast Surfing Association at age 17. He later competed in two world championships before becoming a computer programmer for the City of Jacksonville. Despite his career shift, he never lost his passion for surfing.

“He was the happiest, nicest, mellowest guy,” said longtime friend and local surf writer Mitch Kaufmann. “When it came to being a Christian, he was the real deal.”

The tragedy comes nearly a month after a Georgia woman, Cathy Dowdy, nearly drowned in the same area. She is still recovering at the Mayo Clinic, and a GoFundMe campaign for her medical expenses has raised over $70,000.