The accident came in the sixth hour of competition, during a heat that wasn’t initially planned. The original schedule had called for four hour-long heats, but because the conditions were uncharacteristically favorable—giant waves with little wind shear—the Big Wave World Tour’s general manager Bill Sharp, other WSL staff, and the 19 competitors agreed to hold two additional heats.
At the point at which he met calamity, they had surfed 2/3rds of the event without the agreed-upon safety already. Alex said he only surfed because he felt pressure from his sponsors - the subtext being his desire to get paid was greater than his concern for safety. His accident wasn't because he wasn't rescued, but because the ski that did rescue him was cleaned up and he got launched. While I H8 the WSL, I think this sounds kinda litigious.