An Italian surfer died last week after being impaled by a needlefish in the waters off Indonesia’s Masokut Island.
Betweena local news agency, reported that Giulia Manfrini, 36, was surfing around 9:30 a.m. when the freak accident occurred.
For the record:
9:31 p.m., October 22, 2024An earlier version of this article stated that Manfrini was impaled by a swordfish. She was hit by a needle.
The fish “jumped toward Manfrini and hit her right in the chest,” said Lahmudin Siregar, head of the regional disaster management agency in Mentawai Islands regency.
Manfrini was rushed to a local hospital at PeiPei Health Center. Manfrini suffered a 2-inch-deep stab wound to his upper left chest and showed signs of water in his lungs, according to Antara, which received the medical report.
Needle sizes range from 1 inch to approximately 3 feet in length. Attacks are extremely rare and deaths are largely accidental, but their sharp, protruding beaks make encounters deadly when these fish can leap out of the water at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour, according to the Ocean conservation. In 2010, a Florida woman who was kayaking was reportedly almost killed by a needlefish after he stabbed her in the back, breaking her ribs and piercing her lungs.
Mentawai is considered one of the best surfing spots in the world, with its warm waters, consistent breaks and glassy conditions. The islands therefore have a thriving tourist economy thanks to surf camps and travel agencies that offer guided trips to foreign surfers.
Manfrini, a former professional snowboarder, was co-founder of AWAVEa travel company that offered surf trips to luxury surf resorts and surf charters to remote locations around the world, including several spots in the Mentawai Islands. She was a guest at Hidden Bay Resort in the northern Mentawai Islands at the time of the accident.
In an Instagram post, Hidden Bay Resort wrote, “Unfortunately, in this case we could not do anything” to avoid the accident, adding that we “provided all the necessary support to facilitate the procedures for repatriating the body.”
Friends and customers went online to share their condolences and memories of the passionate surfer.
“Giulia was the lifeblood of this company and her infectious enthusiasm for surfing, snow and life will be remembered by all who came in contact with her,” said James Colston, co-founder of AWAVE . common on social networks. “Giulia couldn’t travel without people falling in love with her smile, her laugh and her endless energy.”
Massimo Ferro, one of two witnesses at the scene of Manfrini’s death, shared a series of photos from their trip that led to the fatal accident.
“You rushed into my life, and just as you walked out.” wrote Ferro on Instagram. “I’m grateful to be with you until the last second.”
