A 36-year-old surfer from Italy died after being impaled by a swordfish while surfing the waters in Indonesia.
Giulia Manfrini, a surfer from Turin, was reportedly struck in the chest by a swordfish on Friday in the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra Province, a popular surfing destination known for its beautiful waters and challenging waves.
James Colston, who set up a travel agency with Manfrini, said on Instagram: “Even with the brave efforts of her partner, local resort staff and doctors, Giulia couldn’t be saved.”
Manfrini was a well-loved surfer and former snowboarder who co-founded a travel agency AWAVE Travel, living out her dream of combining her passion for surfing and travel.
The swordfish “unexpectedly jumped towards Manfrini and pierced her chest”, said Lahmudin Siregar, acting head of the Mentawai Islands’ Disaster Management Agency. “The information we received from the Head of Southwest Siberut District was that an accident occurred with an Italian citizen while surfing,” Mr Siregar told news agency Antara.
The swordfish left a two-inch deep wound and although Manfrini was rushed to a nearby clinic, she died shortly after.
Mr Colston called it “a freak accident” and said that “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 said.
The news of her sudden death has left her 22,000 Instagram followers heartbroken, where she often shared her surfing adventures. Tributes poured in from her colleagues and Fabio Giulivi, the mayor of her hometown, Venaria Reale.
Mr Giulivi said: “The news of her death has left us shocked and makes us feel powerless in front of the tragedy that took her life so prematurely.”
One of her fans on Instagram wrote: “You surfed life and travelled the world doing what you loved most. Live enjoying life to the fullest and die doing what you love most.”
Manfrini had also earned the nickname “Surf Frother” from her fellow surfers for her energy and enthusiasm on the waters.
Her death follows another tragedy in the surfing community just a month earlier. In late September, surfer Jorge Alvarado died from a fatal head injury while surfing in Daytona Beach, Florida.
