The young surfer was hoping to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games
Katherine Diaz, an Olympic surfing hopeful, has died after she was struck by lightening whilst training at a beach in El Tunco.
The 22-year-old surfer began her training session at a beach in El Tunco, approximately ten miles south of San Salvador, when she was struck by lightning.
Emergency services tried to revive Diaz at the scene of the incident, but their attempts were unfortunately unsuccessful.
Diaz sadly died on the beach shortly after being hit by lightning.
According to reports by the Spanish newspaper AS, local residents were surprised by a sudden change in the weather.
The report said: “The sky was clear and it was an unforeseen storm that did not seem to carry much electrical intensity either.”
The International Surfing Association (ISA) shared their condolences on Twitter.
The ISA said: “It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz.”
It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz. pic.twitter.com/7SQCEHPpu3
— International Surfing Association (@ISAsurfing) March 21, 2021
The governing body for surfing said in a recent tweet in Spanish: “We send our sincere condolences to Katherine’s family, the surfers of El Salvador, and all those in the international surfing community whose lives she touched.”
They added: “We will never forget you.”
Enviamos nuestras más sinceras condolencias a la familia de Katherine, a los surfistas de El Salvador, y a todos aquellos en la comunidad internacional de surf cuyas vidas ella tocó.
Nunca te olvidaremos.
— International Surfing Association (@ISAsurfing) March 21, 2021
According to the Guardian, the young surfer was preparing for the ISA World Surf Games in El Salvador in May, which act as a qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.
