In Loving Memory.. Dr. Jose Rommel Souza and Isis Pinet. Air France flight 447
September 2008 was a great month in my life! I married the girl of my dreams, somehow convinced her to go on a surf trip for my honeymoon, and met Jose Souza and Isis Pinet.
Our lives crossed paths for the first time on a boat, on our way to Tavarua Island, Fiji. Tavarua is home to one of the best waves in the world, “Cloudbreak”, and a five-star resort on a private island in the middle of the pacific ocean…Not your typical surf trip, so it wasn’t too difficult to convince my wife that this was a good idea.
Tavarua is an invite only resort with a waiting list of about two years. Guests stay on the island with only the people in their group for 7 days. We were with fifteen other couples and a few other stragglers, which allowed every one to become close.
Jose was one of the standouts of the trip! Absolutely tearing cloudbreak apart! I spent a lot of time in the water with Jose, chasing waves up the reef. Jose was a goofy foot, and cloudbreak being a left, was a goofy footers dream. Jose was in his element.
I recently read that Jose gave up a career as a pro surfer, to be a dentist. His surfing was definitely of that caliber. I look back, and remember every session we had, and how many times guys in the water would look up the reef and see Jose dropping in on a bomb. We would pull up in the channel and jump off the boat, and Jose would paddle straight for the top of the reef, resisting any urges to turn and go on the inside. Most of us would give in and surf the middle reef where we would watch Jose kill every wave he touched. By the end of the trip we called the top of the reef Jose’s reef.
On land, Jose and Isis were a beautiful couple, so nice to talk to, so nice to be around, mild mannered, soft spoken, great in every way. Jose is Brazilian and a dentist in London, England and his girlfriend was French. I would talk with Jose and ask him what it was like being a surfer, landlocked in London. He would tell me he never felt that way. He was a short flight to some of the best waves in the world between Ireland, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, and Northern Africa. We talked about NY, the city, the waves, and about Jose and Isis coming to visit.
June 1, 2009. The headlines read “Air France flight 447 (AF447), an Airbus A330 widebody jet, was reported missing in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean in the early morning hours. The plane was enroute from Rio de Janeiro (SBGL) to Paris (LFPG) with 228 passengers aboard”.
Today, Sunday June 7, 2009 my visit from Jose and Isis came unexpectedly. My wife received an email we never imagined. Close friends in Kauai who were on the island with us, and shared the joy in getting to know Jose and Isis, informed us that they were on flight 447.
My heart sank and tears ran down my wife Colleens cheek as we both tried to comprehend this tragedy, now a week old, which seemed so far away, how it made its way to our doorstep. God works in strange ways, and people are put in your life, even for a brief time, who’s presence will last a lifetime.
Our memories are fond, and we thank god you were put in our lives, WE LOVE YOU, and WE WILL MISS YOU BOTH!
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Possa a elevação de estrada para cima o conhecer. Sempre Possa o vento esteja a sua parte de trás. Possa o brilho de sol morno em sua face, e chuvas caem macias em seus campos. E até que nós nos encontramos novamente, Maio Deus cabo você na palma da mão dele.
Que la route lieu jusqu’à vous rencontrer. Le vent peut toujours être à votre retour. Que le soleil chaud sur votre visage, et pluies tombent soft sur vos champs. Et tant que nous rencontrer à nouveau, que Dieu vous tenir au creux de sa part.
Our condolences go out to all the families of Air France flight 447.
Jose’s London Surf Club Member Profile
June 13, 2009 NYC Memorial Pictures
Articles in Surf Industry
Other Articles
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Obrigado pela homenagem ao meu irmão.
Eu e minha família ficamos confortados em saber que meu irmão era tão querido e tinha tantos amigos.
Caso tenham mais fotos podem mandar.
Obrigado pelo carinho.
José Cauby F Souza Filho
Hi James,
Thank you for writing this amaizing article, I had the luck to surf with Rommel while I was living in the UK and you words totally describes the way he was. He would just convince you of a trip to Spain for the night, be stoked on choppy windy conditions, always smiling in and out of the water, spreading the good vibes all over the place…
When I read the news couldn’t belive it, in a way I still struggle to convince muyself of this, your article really helps to relieve a bit of the bitter taste that is so hard to get rid of…
Will always remember
Carlos, Sydney, AU
Hello James,
How touching it is to read this article. I feel as though I have met Dr. Jose Rommel Souza and Isis Pinet because of you. I agree that you never know how your life is touch by someone even for a brief moment, and for this I applaud you for such a moving article.
I conclude without having much to say, I will continue to keep the families of the members of Air France flight #447 my prayers and they have my deepest sympathy.
Thanks for writting your sentiments.
Laila Jones, NYC
Amazing article and well written. They were great people and they will always be in our prayers. That trip does seem like yesterday and the gravity of this tragedy takes a deeper effect with every picture.
Gina and I both admired Jose and Isis from many angles. Mild mannered and soft spoken are good ways to describe the couple but only if you take the utmost positive sense of both phrases. God bless their souls.
Very well written story. They were incredible people, full of good energy and will be terribly missed. I am without words…
that was beautiful
Hi James. We wanted to say how beautiful your article is. So poignant. It is testament to how wonderful Rommel and Isis were that they could touch the hearts of others to such an extent in a short time. Rommel had buddies in London that he surfed with regularly, a group of which went to Indonesia last year, resulting in some great memories and fun pictures. When the guys weren’t out in the waves it was party time, and that’s when we got to know Isis better. What a a fun couple they were. We will miss them greatly. We are including your article in our tribute book which will be given to their parents. Thanks again for such lovely words.
Vicky and Justin, London, UK