Freeth contracted the influenza virus in January 1919 and was admitted to Agnew Hospital in downtown San Diego. The San Diego Rowing Club used the local press to raise money to pay for his medical bills. After nearly three months in the hospital, Freeth caught pneumonia and died on April 7, 1919. He was thirty-five years old. His ashes were sent to Honolulu, and Charles E. Sumner, past president of the San Diego Rowing Club, gave the eulogy at his funeral. Freeth’s obituary noted his influence on what would be called the waterman tradition, to which can be added a waterwoman tradition as well. His primary legacy is the development of surfing and lifeguarding, which combined to form the foundation of California beach culture.