The 11-meter long boat belonging to French executive Pierre Agnès, CEO of Boardriders, was found stranded north of La Gravière beach in Soorts-Hossegor, southwest of France.
According to local witnesses, Agnès went fishing on Tuesday, January 30, on his motorboat, Mascaret III. He left the port of Capbreton at 7:30 am but never made it back to the shore.
The early reports also indicate that the 54-year-old executive sent a message to the local maritime authorities explaining that he was going to postpone his return due to the fog.
Pierre's boat was retrieved at 9:15 am, upside down, and with no one inside. The ocean conditions were rough but with low wind and visibility of two kilometers.
The Quiksilver boss has been declared lost at sea. The French Maritime Gendarmerie began the searches with two patrol boats backed up by three helicopters.
The rescue operations had to be interrupted on Tuesday evening and were resumed on Wednesday morning. But by the end of the day, the searches were suspended.
Pierre Agnès has been working for Quiksilver since 1998. Three years ago, he replaced Andy Mooney, who served as the brand's CEO between 2013 and 2015.
An Outdoor Life Lover
Quiksilver's parent company, Boardriders Inc., currently controls an extensive portfolio of action sports brands, including Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes, Billabong, RVCA, Element, VonZipper, and Xcel.
"The Boardriders family and the entire surfing world are devastated by this news. We are concentrating on working with the local authorities on the search and rescue effort and supporting Pierre's family," the company said in a statement.
Agnes is an accomplished surfer and fisherman, an avid promoter of outdoor life, and a former French national surfing team member.
"I love this man. I'm praying for a miracle, but it's just starting to hit me what a profound effect this man had on my life and the surf community at large," added Kelly Slater, who was sponsored by Quiksilver for 23 years.
"He loved his morning fishing trips, family, Quiksilver, surfing, friends, motorbikes, Capbreton. I'm not even sure how to let it sink in."
The Quiksilver Europe headquarters are located in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, around 30 miles south of Hossegor.