He was pulled from the water onto a jet ski and then brought to shore helped from the water and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Eye witness surfer Fran Quirarte said: "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.
"Even on small days the inside at Maverick's can push ten-foot 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.
"He was then carted away in a waiting ambulance."
He was taken to Stanford Medical Center and detained for observation overnight, where yesterday there was no statement on his condition.
Quirate said Butler and film crew were impatient after waiting several days to get in the water.
"With Maverick's and the entire Northern Hemisphere big-wave season off to a slow start surfers and the film crew were chomping at the bit to get a few days of surfing and filming in.
"Waves were running at 12ft, but some large ones had got through."
Quirate had turned for the beach, when sirens went off. "We could here the faint sounds of sirens in the distance. And as the sirens got closer they turned down the road and headed straight for us.
"One of the film crew's radio cracked and I heard they were "bringing Gerry (Butler) in."
"No sooner did I hear that transmission then a ski and Zodiac turned the corner at the Half Moon Bay harbour mouth and were coming in fast. I ran down to the dock, help tie off the Zodiac, and noticed Gerard on board."
It was the exact spot where almost eight months ago 35-year-old Hawaiian surfer Sion Milosky died in a near identical accident at Maverick's, a big wave haven 25 miles south of San Francisco.
Quirate, Water Operations Director of The Jay At Maverick's Big Wave Invitational surfing event, said yesterday: "Butler had no business near the bowl or taking a Maverick's set on the head."
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