Surfer dies after being impaled by swordfish in Indonesia
An Italian surfer died after she was impaled by a sharp-billed fish while in the waters of Indonesia.
36-year-old Giulia Manfrini suffered a "freak accident," according to her business partner James Colston, while she was surfing in the Mentawai Islands.
Lahmudin Siregar, the acting head of the Mentawai Islands' Disaster Management Agency told Indonesian news agency Antara that a swordfish struck Manfrini squarely in the chest. She was said to be surfing off Siberut Island at around 9:30 a.m.
Two individuals were nearby at the time of the accident, Siberut police told Antara. They provided first aid and later rushed her to the Pei Pei Pasakiat Taileleu health center.
She didn't survive her injuries, which included a stab wound on her upper chest that was about five centimeters deep, as per a medical report.
"Unfortunately, even with the brave efforts of her partner, local resort staff and doctors, Guilia couldn't be saved," Colston wrote in an Instagram post. "We believe she died doing what she loved, in a place that she loved."
Manfrini is the co-founder of travel company AWAVE alongside Colston.
"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 added.
Fabio Giulivi, the mayor of Manfrini's hometown of Venaria Reale, also issued a statement following her death.
"Giulia, a 36-year-old Venaria native, had long fulfilled her double dream of surfing, her favorite sport, and opening a travel agency for sports holidays," he wrote.
The chances of swordfish attacking people during the day is "relatively small," Su Nan-Jay, an associate professor at National Taiwan Ocean University, was quoted as saying by NBC News.
"But you can't say it's impossible—it could still happen," he said. "Their snout is like a real sword. If it stabs, it goes very deep, and it could even slice through, leaving a large wound."
Su added that their barbs also carry bacteria that can cause infections.