Katherine Diaz, one of El Salvador’s best surfers, died while training for a qualifying tournament for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, officials said.
The International Surfing Association, the world government’s surfing authority, issued a statement Saturday after the 22-year-old’s death, saying it “embodied the joy and energy that make surfing so special. and beloved for all of us. ”
“He excelled at the level of international competition, proudly representing his country at both the ISA World Surfing Games and the ISA World Junior Surfing Championship,” the organization said. “We send our deepest condolences to the family of Katherine, the surfers of El Salvador, and to all those in the international surfing community who touched on life.”
The surfer was hit after entering the water on Friday on the beach of El Tunico, about 16 kilometers from the capital of San Salvador, according to local media. Her uncle Beto Diaz, who is also a surf coach, told ElSalvador.com that he was going with her and that he was meeting a friend with whom to practice.
“Katherine came over to hug her friend and as soon as she hugged her, she felt the lightning,” he told the dam. “Her friend flew because of the force of the lightning and knocked me off the surfboard. Katherine died instantly.”
Díaz was preparing for the ISA World Surfing Games, which will be held from May 29 to June 6 on the beaches of La Bocana and El Sunzal in El Salvador. The top seven women in the event who have yet to qualify will get a spot at the delayed Tokyo Olympics, where the sport will officially debut at the Olympics.
Jose Diaz, her brother, posted a photo with her on Instagram, saying, “You’ll always be in the heart. God decided to take you now. We already miss you.”
A funeral for Diaz was held over the weekend and images show his coffin surrounded by trophies and a surfboard. Rosa Amelia Hernandez, Diaz’s mother, told ElSalvador.com that although her daughter wanted to be cremated, she was buried on the other side of the ocean where she died.
“I couldn’t incinerate his remains, but I made sure he rested in front of the sea, because the sea was his life,” Hernandez said.
Yamil Bukele, the president of the Salvadoran Sports Institute and brother of the country’s president, lamented his loss on Twitter.
“It’s a big loss for our sport,” Bukele said he tweeted. “All our solidarity for our surfer family. I’m with you in your pain.”