Katherine Diaz, an Olympic surfing hopeful from El Salvador who was beloved in the area for her amazing talent in the sport, passed away at the age of 22 in what appears to be a tragic accident.
The 22-year-old athlete was surfing at El Tunco beach in south-west El Salvador on Friday (March 19) when a storm hit. TMZ is reporting that “someone noticed Diaz appeared to be struck by lightning and called for help.”
The International Surfing Association released a statement saying, “It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz. Katherine embodied the joy and energy that make surfing so special and dear to us all, as a global ambassador of the sport. She excelled at the international competition level, representing her country with pride at both the ISA World Surfing Games and ISA World Junior Surfing Championship.”
The statement continued, “We send our heartfelt condolences to Katherine’s family, the surfers of El Salvador, and to all those in the international surfing community whose lives she touched.”
Katherine was going to compete in the ISA World Surf Games in May, a qualifying event for July’s Olympics.
Our thoughts are with Katherine‘s friends, family, and loved ones during this time.
