Italian surfer Giulia Manfrini dies after being impaled by swordfish in Indonesia

An Italian surfer has died after being fatally impaled by a swordfish while surfing at a renowned spot off the west coast of Sumatra , Indonesia.

Giulia Manfrini , 36, was killed when a swordfish impaled her, causing a deep wound in her upper-left chest while she was riding a wave near Masokut Island.

Despite the efforts of witnesses, who brought her to a local health clinic, Manfrini succumbed to her injuries shortly after, The Standard reported.

The news of her untimely death has deeply affected various international communities, as she was not only a passionate surfer but also a surf coach, the founder of a surf travel agency called AWAVE, a law graduate, and a former snowboarding instructor.

Family friends have expressed their profound grief during this "time of unimaginable sorrow." Naga Laut Mentawai Blue, a surf charter operator, paid tribute to Manfrini on social media, describing her as having had "a deep love and overflowing excitement for life." Fabio Giulivi, the mayor of Venaria Reale, Manfrini's birthplace, shared the community's shock and sense of powerlessness in the face of such a premature loss.

Denise Austin, Manfrini's volleyball coach in Lagos, where she was living before her death, also shared a heartfelt message. Austin described how their community in Portugal was heartbroken and how Manfrini had become like a new Italian daughter to her. She emphasized how much Manfrini loved life and shared a poignant memory of their last evening together, picking pomegranates and discussing future plans for harvesting fruit and making jam.