A surfer has died after being impaled by a swordfish in a freak accident in Indonesia.

Giulia Manfrini, a 36-year-old Italian, was riding a wave when the swordfish reportedly leapt out of the water and struck her in the chest.

The incident happened on Masokut Island, a popular surfing spot in the Mentawai archipelago which lies off the west coast of Sumatra.

It was witnessed by two other surfers, named in local reports as Massimo Ferro and Alexandre Ribas, who administered first aid as best they could.

She had a five-centimetre deep stab wound on the upper left-hand side of her chest. She was taken to a local health clinic but could not be saved.

As news of her death reached Italy, her Instagram account was flooded with tributes.

“The sea, that gave you so much, has taken your life. Rest in peace,” one Italian wrote.

Another wrote: “I just heard the dreadful news. RIP.”

Manfrini was from the town of Venaria Reale, where her father was a lawyer and her mother a GP. 

Fabio Giulivi, the mayor, said: “The whole community offers its condolences to her family. 

“The news of her death has shocked us all, we feel helpless in the face of a tragedy that cut short her life so prematurely.”

Manfrini graduated in law but forged a career initially as a snowboarding coach. She then developed an interest in surfing and moved to Bali, where she worked as a surfing instructor.