The owner of the popular Pacifica bakery Shampa’s Pies has died in a tragic surfing accident in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, a place he knew very well among the Bay Area beaches he surfed for 30 years.
According to a GoFundMe launched by Haruwn Wesley’s family, he "was unexpectedly thrown from a wave into the rocks at a high velocity and suffered from numerous bodily injuries."
The incident happened December 13 at Fort Point in the Presidio.
He was taken to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he died seven days later. The family said Wesley "managed to use all of his strength and love to stay with our family" until he passed away Sunday.
"Haruwn has rescued many people over the years who were either swept out by the surf in a riptide or became unable to help themselves out in the San Francisco Bay and Ocean Beach," the post said of the husband and father of two. "One time at Ocean Beach, he was on the shore when he saw people screaming and pointing at the water. He simply dove in, swam 50 yards in heavy surf and rescued the man before the Surf Patrol arrived."
In addition to being a passionate surfer and athlete, Wesley was a jazz musician.
As reported by SFGate, he grew up in the city’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and was a graduate of McAteer High School, now called Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. Shampa’s Pies opened in 2014, well known at farmer's markets and around the community.
As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe has raised almost $60,000.
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