A British surfer has broken his back in a wipeout as he tackled one of the world's biggest waves. 
 
 Andrew Cotton, 36, suffered the worst injury of his professional career in the mountainous seas off Nazare in Portugal, where waves can reach almost 80ft. 
 
 The big wave surfer was thrown from his board and slammed back-first into the water at high speed. 
 
 He is now recovering in a Portuguese hospital and already planning his return to the region after being given a good prognosis by doctors. 
 
 Posting a video on Instagram of the wipeout as he attempted to surf the wave estimated to have been 50ft high, Mr Cotton wrote: "What can I say, I got a little excited this morning and ending up having possibly the worst wipe-out impact wise of my life. ||||| Published on Nov 8, 2017 
 
 Andrew Cotton (Braunton, North Devon, United Kingdom) carves into a huge peak only to have the lip come down and send him into orbit at Nazaré, Portugal on November 8, 2017. Video by Kleber Pires. An entry in the Wipeout of the Year Award category of the 2018 WSL Big Wave Awards. For more information see www.WorldSurfLeague.com/bigwaveawards ||||| Andrew Cotton breaks back at Nazaré 
 
 | Surfing 
 
 Andrew Cotton suffered a serious back injury at Nazaré's Praia do Norte, in Portugal. 
 
 Local surfers believe Nazaré fired some of the biggest waves of the decade, as side-shore winds and a powerful NW swell channeled energy into Praia do Norte's underwater canyon. 
 
 Waves in the 35-foot range worked like a magnet, and the lineup was quickly invaded by big wave surfers and their support teams. 
 
 Garrett McNamara, Maya Gabeira, Ross Clarke-Jones, Lucas Chumbo, Danilo Couto, Sebastian Steudtner, and António Silva were some of the athletes ready to take on the beast. 
 
 For Andrew Cotton, November 8, 2017, will be a day to remember, unfortunately for the worst reasons. The British surfer injured his back in a horrendous wipeout that sent him to the hospital bed. 
 
 "What can I say: I got a little excited and ended up having possibly the worst wipeout impact wise of my life. Thank you to all the lifeguards and crew on the beach who helped stabilize me and do a great spinal recovery," expressed Cotton. 
 
 Andrew took off on one of the biggest waves of the day, but the moving mountain didn't offer him an escape route, so the surfer was forced to pull the eject button, as the lip crashed down on him. 
 
 "I have broken my back, but I've been really lucky. I'm already looking forward and focusing my energy to get fit and back out there on some more big rollers." 
 
 Cotton broke his back after a "split-second decision" that left him with a "dodgy [L2] vertebrae, but no complications." The British daredevil plans to heal quickly start rehab as soon as possible. ||||| This is the moment a British surfer broke his back in a horrific wipeout that has shocked the surfing community. 
 
 Andrew Cotton, who is a surfer and part-time plumber from North Devon, was in Nazaré, Portugal filing a documentary when he was swallowed up by the gigantic wave. 
 
 The 36-year-old can be seen jumping for his life as the whitewater crashes down on top of him, before he is quickly rescued from the water. 
 
 Cotton was placed on a spinal board and rushed to the local hospital, where he was told he had broken his back. 
 
 But – remarkably – Cotton has said the accident has not put him off getting back on his board in the future, as well as thanking the rescue crew that saved his life. 
 
 “What can I say, I got a little excited this morning and ending up having possibly the worst wipeout impact wise of my life,” he wrote on his Instagram page. 
 
 “Thank you to all the lifeguards and crew on the beach who helped stabilise me and do a great spinal recovery, I can’t name everyone but you all did your bit to get me safely to the hospital. 
 
 Cotton has pledged to get back on his surfboard soon (Getty) 
 
 “I have broken my back but I’ve been really lucky, I’m already looking forward and focusing my energy to get fit and back out there on some more big rollers!” 
 
 The waves at Praia do Norte where Cotton was surfing, near the fishing village of Nazaré, are famed for being among the largest in the world. 
 
 That’s because of a collection of factors. Crucially, Praia do Norte is one of the most westerly points in all of Europe, meaning that the wind sweeps across the Atlantic unhindered increasing the ocean swell. 
 
 And then there’s the Nazaré canyon – the biggest underwater ravine in Europe. The ravine is 125 miles long and, at its deepest point, the sea bed is more than 3 miles beneath the surface, resulting in frequently massive waves which can top 100ft.
– A big-wave surfer is already dreaming of getting back on his surfboard a day after breaking his back in what the Telegraph describes as "mountainous seas" off Nazare, Portugal. Britain's Andrew Cotton, 36, was one of several professional surfers riding big waves Wednesday when a gigantic wall of water came crashing down upon him. A video shows Cotton preparing to abandon his ride before the rolling water appears to throw him dozens of feet, where he lands hard on his back. "What can I say, I got a little excited this morning and [ended] up having possibly the worst wipeout impact wise of my life," Cotton wrote on Instagram after he was pulled from the water, put on a spinal board, and taken to a hospital. Cotton says he broke the L2 vertebra in his lower spine, but there are "no complications," per Surfer Today. "I'm already looking forward and focusing my energy to get fit and back out there," he adds on Instagram. His wife isn't surprised. "Although it's the worst thing that could happen to most people, to him it's just part of what he does," she tells the Telegraph. Given his "good prognosis for a rapid recovery ... all he will be thinking about is when he can get back in the water." He should expect no sympathy from the waves of Nazare in the future, reports the Independent, noting the area is home to strong winds and the biggest underwater ravine in Europe, which contribute to waves up to 100 feet tall. (A lightning strike killed two surfers on Sunday.)