Italian surfer died last week after being impaled by a swordfish while surfing in Indonesia, local media reported.
Giulia Manfrini, a 36-year-old from northern Italy, was in the water in Mentawai Islands Regency, an area that draws surfers from around the world, according to Indonesian news agency Antara.
“Unexpectedly, a swordfish jumped towards Manfrini and struck her squarely in the chest,” Lahmudin Siregar, acting head of the Mentawai Islands’ Disaster Management Agency, told Antara on Friday.
After seeing Manfrini’s signal for help, two witnesses provided first aid and took her to a local medical center, the agency reported, citing police.
Manfrini is a prominent surfer with more 27,000 followers on social media and the co-founder of AWAVE, a London-based travel company that specializes in surfing.
She was the victim of a “freak accident,” said James Colston, the company’s co-founder.
“Unfortunately, even with the brave efforts of her partner, local resort staff and doctors, Giulia couldn’t be saved,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “We believe she died doing what she loved, in a place that she loved.”
“Giulia was the lifeblood of this company and her infectious enthusiasm for surf, snow and life will be remembered by all that came in contact with her,
” he continued.
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