Heartbreak surrounds the death of Italian surfer Giulia Manfrini, 36, who was fatally struck in the chest by a swordfish while surfing off Indonesia’s Mentawai Islands.
The tragic accident unfolded near Masokut Island, where the fish’s pointed bill inflicted a 2-inch-deep wound. Despite desperate efforts by her partner, resort staff, and medics, Giulia could not be saved. A former professional snowboarder and head of surf resort sales at AWAVE Travel, Giulia was remembered as the vibrant heart of her company and a soul who lived for the waves. “She died doing what she loved, in a place she loved,” said co-founder James Colston.
The Hidden Bay Resort mourned her loss, saying she now surfs “eternal waves,” while her hometown mayor reflected on her fulfilled dreams of surfing and running her own travel agency.
This devastating loss comes just a year after the death of American surfer Mikala Jones in the same waters. Giulia’s untimely passing casts a shadow over a paradise she held s
o dear.
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