An Italian woman surfing an island break off the west coast of Sumatra died in a freak accident when a swordfish impaled her, according to reports.
The Antara News Agency in Indonesia reported that 36-year-old Giulia Manfrini was surfing in the waters of Masokut Island in the Mentawai Islands, just off the west coast of Sumatra, when she was stabbed by the bill of a swordfish.
Acting head of the Mentawai Islands’ Disaster Management Agency, Lahmudin Siregar, told the news outlet that his agency was notified about the accident involving an Italian citizen who was surfing.
He said Manfrini was hunting waves in the waters of Ombak Bengbeng, Masokut Island in the Southwest Siberut District.
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“Unexpectedly, a swordfish jumped toward Manfrini and stuck it right in the chest of the female tourist,” Siregar added.
Information obtained by Antara from Siberut Police suggests Manfrini asked for help by waving to two witnesses who were also foreign nationals, named Alexandre Ribas and Massimo Ferro.
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The two witnesses rushed to assist Manfrini and provided first aid before taking her to a nearby clinic, where she was pronounced dead.
A medical examination conducted by the medical team at Pei Pei Puskesmas found Manfrini suffered a stab wound in the upper chest, about 5 centimeters deep. The report also said the victim’s nose emitted foam, suggesting a lack of oxygen due to drowning.
Manfrini’s body is currently in Pei Pei Puskesmas and is expected to be taken to the city of Padang before being sent back to Italy.
Manfrini reportedly grew up in Venaria Reale, Italy, a community just outside the city of Turin.
The mayor of Venaria Reale, Fabio Giulivi, spoke about Manfrini’s sudden death on Saturday.
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“The entire Venarian community is gathering around Giulia Manfrini’s family,” Giulivi said in a translated post. “The news of her death has left us shocked and makes us feel powerless in front of the tragedy that took her life so prematurely.”
He continued, saying Manfrini dreamed of surfing and opening a travel agency for sports vacations.
“To mum Chiara, dad Giorgio and all the people who loved her, a touching hug from me and the whole city,” Giulivi said.
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Tributes poured in after news broke about Manfrini’s death.
One person who said she spent Manfrini’s last evening with her picking pomegranates and talking about making fig jam, wrote about her friend, saying, “We can only say how much she got out of her short life, and she filled it completely.”
Another person wrote, “We are a huge heartbroken community that loved Giulia with all our hearts. She was the most lighthearted friend we had, always bringing joy and love to our group.”
The Mentawai Islands Regency is a popular international tourist destination, especially for surfing.
