Giulia Manfrini, Surfer and Social Media Influencer, Stabbed to Death in Harrowing Swordfish Attack
A beloved social media influencer died after encountering a swordfish while surfing.
Giulia Manfrini, known for her impressive surfing skills, "died doing what she loved" off Indonesia coast.
According to 'TMZ,' she lost her life following an unusual and fatal encounter with a swordfish while surfing off the coast of Masokut Island.
She was 36.
According to reports, Manfrini sustained a chest wound approximately two inches deep after being struck by the fish. Despite being rushed to a nearby clinic for medical care, she succumbed to her injuries.
Hidden Bay Resort Mentawais said in an Instagram statement on Monday, October 21, how the surfer "was hit in the chest by a needlefish and died almost immediately."
"We do know, however, that she continued to do what she loved best and without suffering. May you follow your path of light and may you surf the eternal waves on the other side."
Manfrini's death sent waves of grief through the surfing community and beyond. Admirers on her Instagram expressed heartfelt messages in the comments sections of several of her posts.
One follower wrote, "You surfed life and traveled the world doing what you loved most." Another emotional tribute read, "You left this as a lesson. Live enjoying life to the fullest and die doing what you love most. Hopefully, she didn't suffer much. Surfing the cloud."
Manfrini was not only known for her adventurous spirit on the water, but also for her achievements in other extreme sports. She began her career as a professional snowboarder before shifting her focus to surfing, which eventually became her passion. A surf instructor and co-founder of AWAVE Travel, she was described as both a "surf frother" and an enthusiast for snow sports, often referring to her love for powder snow as "pow."
The co-founder of Manfrini's travel agency AWAVE Travel, James Colston, said in a statement Sunday, per 'CBS News,' that the Italian surfer "died doing what she loved, in a place that she loved" in what he called a "freak accident."
Manfrini's untimely passing comes not long after the surfing community mourned the loss of another athlete, Jorge Alvarado, who died last month after a surfing accident at Daytona Beach, Florida, where he struck his head on the ocean floor.
He was 49 years old.
