Hawaii (AP) — Mikala Jones, a surfer from Hawaii famed for capturing breathtaking images and films from inside of enormous, curving waves, passed away following a surfing accident in Indonesia. He was 44.

Jones' surfboard fin severed his femoral artery early on Sunday morning while he was on a trip to the Mentawai Islands off the western coast of Sumatra, according to his father, dentist Dr. John Jones. A sizable blood vessel in the thigh that carries blood to the lower limbs is called the femoral artery.

He was an unassuming artist. His father remarked in a phone chat from his Honolulu office on Monday that his son's photos were amazing.

Beautiful pictures of Jones lying on his board with waves curving around him from above can be seen on his Instagram page. In some photos, the curved wave opening in front of him allows viewers to see a sunset or sunrise.

Cuts from surfboard fins are common, according to surf photographer Woody Woodworth, who believed Jones took the best overall surf photo he had ever seen. Some surfers feel that keeping their fins sharp will help them ride waves more precisely, but when combined with a wave's force, a fin may be like an axe or a cleaver, he said.

With the force of a wave, "all the fins that I see are certainly sharp enough, and pointy enough, that slicing into somebody's leg would be very easy," Woodworth added.

Beginning in the 1970s, the elder Jones began to take pictures for surfing magazines, but he mainly photographed from the beach or took pictures of other people in the sea. not his child.

He explained: "He was interested in shooting images of himself and the wave when he was surfing.

Jones, who was raised in Kailua, Hawaii, learned to surf when he was around seven or eight years old and started participating in the "menehune" age division for children under 12 a few years later. As an amateur, he won two national championships.

like the future, he traveled with sponsors to surf locations like Tahiti, Fiji, South Africa, and the Galapagos Islands. On the waves, photographers would take pictures of him and other surfers, which appeared in photo spreads in surf magazines. They were portrayed in advertising for surf attire and equipment.

Jones started experimenting with first-person photography while out on the ocean in the 1990s. While lying on his stomach and paddling out to the waves, Jones fastened a camera to a cloth fastener on his board and held the camera under his chin. As soon as he stood, he would grab the camera and hold it behind him while taking shots.

After the creation of the small, lightweight cameras, he started using one and soon became sponsored by the brand. For 360-degree views, he stitched together images from many GoPro cameras using software.

One image in particular received special acclaim from Woodworth, who described it as "beyond spectacular." Jones is pictured in a wave tube with his left arm extended in the photograph, which was used as the cover image for The Surfer's Journal. Jones is facing the wave wall, which reflects both Jones and the light entering the barrel.

"It's 10 points on the surfing, 10 points on the technically sound photography, and 10 points on the concept," said Woodworth. "This is like, without a doubt, the all-time Olympic winning image."

Jones had an out-of-body experience after nearly drowning, so he was aware of the risks associated with surfing.

His father claimed, "He was flying in the skies and he looked down and found his body floating in the water. And just then, he heard his girls screaming out, 'Daddy, come home.' He then descended back into his body.

He washed in by the waves and awoke on the reef.

The senior Jones claimed that he had made attempts to convince his four children to surf while wearing wetsuits, helmets, and other safety gear. If a surfer's fin is overly sharp, it is frequently advised that they use sandpaper to round the edges, he said.

But you know how stubborn they are. said he.

Jones leaves behind his wife Emma Brereton, their children Bella and Violet, who live in Hawaii and Bali, Indonesia, respectively. Jones has two younger brothers and an older sister in addition to his father. 2011 saw the passing of his mother Violet Jones-Medusky.