Salvadoran surfer Katherine Díaz died this Friday after being struck by lightning while training on a beach in the southwest of the country.
The death of the 22-year-old athlete was reported via social networks by the National Institute of Sports (Indes). “I am very sorry for this death,” the president of the institution, Yamil Bukele, wrote on Twitter.
The event occurred while Díaz was training on El Tunco beach, on the Salvadoran coast that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, in the department of La Libertad.
According to the press, the athlete was hit by the discharge when she was coming out of the water, at a time when a storm was beginning.
In an obituary notice for his death, Indes pointed out that Díaz was “an athlete from the Salvadoran Surf Federation” and was part of the women’s national team for that discipline.
“Her loss in the waves hurts and impacts us,” lamented Josselyn Alabi, teammate.
According to Indes, the athlete was getting ready to represent the country in upcoming international surfing tournaments.