tributes to 36-year-old Bethany Hamilton, her loved ones have called her death a “freak accident.”
Manfrini was surfing in the waters of the Mentawai Islands Regency when she was impaled by the swordfish, the acting head of the Mentawai Islands’ Disaster Management Agency, Lahmudin Siregar, told local media.
Siregar said Manfrini was “unexpectedly” struck by the swordfish’s long, pointed bill while off the coast of Sumatra. He told the state news agency Antara that the impact caused a wound two inches (about five centimetres) deep.
Manfrini reportedly signalled for help and was brought to a local medical centre by two witnesses who also performed first aid. She did not survive. Her official cause of death has not yet been released.
The resort where Manfrini was staying at the time said she died in a “sad accident while surfing one of the friendliest waves in the region.”
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The statement from Hidden Bay Resort Mentawais said Manfrini died “almost immediately” and there was “nothing we could do.”
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The resort claimed Manfrini was struck by a needlefish, not a swordfish. Though similar, swordfish and needlefish are different species. They both have long, sharp bills and can jump out of the water.
- Manfrini’s body is being repatriated with the resort’s support, the company said
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