(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Gerard Butler is "fine" after being rushed to hospital following a surfing accident.

The incident happened at Maverick's, the infamous Northern California surf spot south of San Francisco on Sunday.

The actor was filming a stunt scene for his new movie, Of Men and Mavericks, when disaster struck.

Gerard was taken down by a wave and then held under water by the pounding sea. Once he was pulled to dry land he was put in to a waiting ambulance.

However, his representative insists that the hospital visit was just a safety measure.

"He's fine. Very scary. They brought him to Stanford University. More scary than anything. For precaution, we all wanted him checked out after it all happened. Came out with flying colours," the rep told ET.

The movie is based on the true life story of a tragic young surfer Jay Moriarty.

Eyewitnesses say Gerard was lucky to escape with no serious injury.

"Butler was held down for a solid two-waves and took four or five more waves on the head.

He was then washed through the rocks on the inside before he was finally able to be plucked out," Onlooker Frank Quirarte told British publication The Mirror.

"Even on small days the inside at Maverick's can push 10ft plus and really tear you up. When they brought Butler in he had that 100-yard stare that surfers get after a two-wave hold [down] or near death experience. After almost 20 years at Mavericks I've seen a lot of it, but at least he was standing on his own two legs." (C) Cover Media