A surfer has died after being stabbed in the heart by a swordfish.
Giuliana Manfrini, 36, had been riding the waves off the coast of western Sumatra, Indonesia, when the fish leapt out of the water and drove its bill into her chest.
The Italian surfer was left with a five-centimetre-deep wound and trapped beneath the water as two fellow surfers, Alexandre Ribas and Massimo Ferro, ran over to help her.
They tried to keep the woman alive before taking her to the local Pei Pei Taileleu Health Centre, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
It is not currently clear whether Ms Manfrini died of her wounds or if she drowned beneath the water’s surface, doctors have said.
Indonesia-based surfing charter company Naa Laut Mentawai Blue paid tribute to Ms Manfrini on social media.
The post read: ‘With an extremely heavy heart… RIP our beautiful, friendly, always smiling and happy friend Giuliana Manfrini.
‘One who had such a deep love and overflowing excitement for life.’
Ms Manfrini was an aspiring law graduate, who had already founded the Awave Travel company which specialised in popular tourist destinations for skiers and snowboarders. She had moved to Bali to work as a surfing instructor.
Her body will now be returned to Italy.
The mayor of her home city, Venaria Reale in northern Italy, released a statement following her death which read: ‘The whole community offers its condolences to her family.
‘The news of her death has shocked us all, we feel helpless in the face of a tragedy that cut short her life so prematurely.’
The news of the surfer’s tragic death comes just a month after a US tourist was shockingly found inside the stomach of a shark by fishermen.
Colleen Monfore, a 68-year-old woman from South Dakota, was reportedly swallowed up after being swept away by strong currents off the Indonesian coast.
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