Cornwall surfer Tom Butler rides monster wave

Image caption, Surfing the monster wave, which was at least three times overhead, required a safety team including paramedics and a lifeguard

A surfer has been filmed riding a giant wave called Stones which forms off St Ives in Cornwall.

Tom Butler, from Newquay, rode the rarely-breaking wave in February for the film Cornwall's Wildest Wave.

Surfing the monster wave, which was at least three times overhead, required a safety boat and support team including paramedics and a lifeguard.

"I have hurt myself big wave surfing, so you have to have a team if things go wrong," he said.

Image caption, He was towed in by a personal water craft to ride the wave which is shown towering over his head

The Stones is about 3 miles (5km) offshore from Godrevy lighthouse in St Ives Bay.

"I have been around the world in top locations for big waves," he said.

"But this year I had the idea of finding more big waves in Cornwall and this was one of the locations."

Image caption, Tom Butler decided to seek out big waves close to home

Only a handful of people are thought to have surfed Stones before, he said.

"I have never surfed it before and this was one of the biggest times it's ever been surfed.

"When it gets big you need a safety team because some waves break in front of large rocks or are far off the coast.

"It's a professional set-up with our own back-up."

Cornwall's Wildest Wave is on BBC1 at 19:30 BST on 20 May and then on catch up and BBC iPlayer.

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