Lightning kills pro surfer who was Summer Games hopeful
Emergency services were unable to revive the woman, who was training for a surfing competition seen as a stepping stone to Summer Games qualification.
A surfer who had aspirations to compete in the Tokyo Summer Games has died in El Salvador after being struck by lighting in the ocean.
Katherine Díaz Hernández was training near her home off the country's coast on Friday when she was struck, according to the Associated Press. The Guardian reports emergency services were not able to revive her.
"Katherine embodied the joy and energy that make surfing so special and dear to us all, as a global ambassador of the sport," the International Surfing Association said in a Facebook post Saturday. "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."
Spanish-language sporting website AS.com says the storm rolled in unexpectedly and did not seem to onlookers to be very intense.
Media reports say Diaz was training for this year's ISA World Surfing Games in May, which were a step towards qualifying for the Summer Games in Tokyo.
In addition to her surfing career, Diaz was also a chef, and had opened a restaurant in her home town of El Tunco.