- Giuliana Manfrini died earlier this month in Sumatra
- The 36-year-old was a big-wave surfer and thrill seeker
The surfing world is mourning Giuliana Manfrini after she died in a freak accident when a swordfish stabbed her in the heart off the Indonesian coast earlier this month.
The 36-year-old Italian was catching waves near the island of Pulau Masokut off the coast of West Sumatra when the fish jumped out of the water and pushed its beak two inches into her chest, witnesses said.
Her fellow surfers Massimo Ferro and Alexandre Ribas gave her first aid and she was rushed to a local medical clinic but could not be saved. Beach grit reported.
Manfrini described herself on her Instagram account as a “surf and snow travel expert.”
She co-founded the company Awave Travel and, while studying law, also worked as a surfing and snowboarding instructor.
Indonesia-based surf charter company Naa Laut Mentawai Blue mourned the Italian when news of her death broke, writing on social media: ‘With an extremely heavy heart… RIP our beautiful, kind, always smiling and happy friend Giulia Manfrini. Someone who had such a deep love and such an overwhelming excitement for life!’
Fabio Giulivi, the mayor of the Italian town of Venaria Reale, where Manfrini was born, wrote: ‘Giulia, from Venaria, only 36 years old, had long had her double dream: surfing, her favorite sport, and opening a travel agency. for sports holidays.
“The news of her death has shocked us and left us feeling powerless in the face of the tragedy that took her life so untimely.”
Giuliana Manfrini (pictured) is mourned after a freak swordfish accident killed her while she was surfing off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra
The 36-year-old Italian thrill seeker suffered a 5cm wound in her heart when the swordfish jumped out of the water and stabbed her
In 2019, Manfrini opened up about her love for Sumatra in an interview with the Salt sirens website.
‘In terms of surfing, I love the wilderness of North Sumatra – the rainforest there is so primordial and beautiful!’ she said.
“I love sitting in line with a few friends, just listening to the sounds of the jungle, and waiting for a set that I already know will be perfect and bring some barrels.”
She added that her favorite resting place is Nias, north of where she lost her life.
“I love that wave so much, I could surf it for hours every day,” she said.
Manfrini (photo) had previously talked about her love for surfing in Indonesia
In her last Instagram post in April, Manfrini told her followers: “Not in the office. See you in two weeks.’
Swordfish attacks on humans are incredibly rare.
A 2007 article for the Asian Journal of Surgery stated that only one attack reported at the time resulted in death.
The article examined the case of a 39-year-old man who died when his right eye was pierced when a swordfish “jumped at him” as he shone a torch into the water while fishing at night.
“There have been no reports of unprovoked swordfish attacks on humans, although there have been several reports of attacks resulting in body and chest injuries,” the Journal reported.