Waves like this are beautiful. But they carry risk. Close medical attention is always a good thing. Photo: Justis St. John
When Giulia Manfrini was rushed to the hospital in Pei Pei on the Mentawaian island of Siberut, the doctor declared she was deceased on arrival. Just minutes before she’d been struck by a needlefish in the chest while surfing. A quick response and a short seven-minute boat ride to the village proved fruitless due to the severity of the wound.
But even if she had needed care, the hospital wouldn’t have been able to provide it, lacking the basic supplies and tools for emergency care, according to Alexandre Ribas, one of the owners of Hidden Bay Resort where Manfrini was a guest.
Manfrini’s passing is the latest in a string of tragic incidents in the Mentawais over the past few years that also includes the deaths of Mikala Jones and Eric Foraker, among others. It’s a grim reminder of the risks of remote surf travel, a danger that is amplified in the powerful waves and shallow coral reefs of the Mentawais. I touched on the topic last year when another tragedy struck with a surf resort off the nearby island of Nias; if anything goes wrong in these remote Indonesian isles, you’re a long way from help.
I called Ribas to chat about the safety protocol at his resort and the reality of getting emergency help. Still reeling from the emotions of having witnessed Manfrini’s death, Ribas expressed frustration with funding for the local hospital in the Mentawais.
“Every surfer pays $130 (USD) in tax to get to the Mentawais,” said Ribas. “It’s been almost five years that guests have been paying that and nothing (has been done) by the government. They don’t give anything back to the surfers.”
Ribas lamented that the hospital lacks basic supplies for emergencies, items like adrenaline shots, or basic medications for bacterial infections that are common in the islands. He explained that anything more serious than stitches requires evacuation – hiring a $2,000 private speedboat to the Sumatran port of Padang, which takes three to five hours depending on conditions. More serious cases can be flown to more advanced facilities in Singapore or Malaysia.
Ribas says those who visit are well aware of the risks and acknowledge that they are responsible for any injuries that may occur when booking with the resort. Still, according to Ribas, Hidden Bay Resort stocks its own supply of medications and emergency supplies. They’re better equipped than the local hospital.
“We think about safety,” said Ribas. “We are trained to do small stitches, first aid in emergencies. We try to be as best prepared as we can to deal with the situation. I’ve been here for 10 years and have seen so many different cases.”
“All our boats always have a guide that can help,” added Ribas. “And we give tips about safety in the water, how the waves behave in each spot. For example, I would never send a beginner out at Hideaways at low tide. But if I have a professional here, then they’d love that.”
Ribas has noticed an influx of beginner and intermediate surfers in the islands (that he attributes to the sport’s Olympic inclusion) and many resorts send them out in conditions they aren’t prepared for.
“I see guides taking surfers out at Kandui who aren’t able to make a barrel just because the guide wants to surf there,” said Ribas. “We pay attention to the guests’ levels and we don’t accept beginners. And for low-intermediate surfers, we only take them to safe places. It’s required that they know how to duck dive and go down the line.”
Hidden Bay’s boats are all equipped with first aid kits and radios, a simple communication tool often overlooked by local surf camps. The resort also requires that guests have international insurance that covers an evacuation if necessary.
Ribas singled out one anecdote about hosting pro surfers during the iconic “century” swell of 2015. He made them get out of the water when the tide went below a certain threshold that he knew greatly increased the risk of injury due to the end section of the reef becoming exposed. Even as his guests protested, he made them go back for lunch and come back when the tide was higher.
The Manfrini incident won’t change Hidden Bay’s operations. Ribas says safety was already a priority, their response was sound, and nothing could have saved her. However, the incident inspired him to put together a more defined document regarding safety protocol that he will share with guests and staff. He is collaborating with two doctors to create the document including what to do in every scenario such as jellyfish stings, stepping on a rockfish, falling on urchins, and even – a new addition – how to position your body and board when there are jumping needlefish.
Coincidentally, the day after Manfrini’s death, another surfer was struck by a needlefish in the area. However, in this case, the surfer saw the fish coming. He used his board as a shield and deflected the fish into his shoulder, still needing stitches to close the wound.
“(Manfrini) was the first time I saw a fish hit a surfer,” said Ribas. “There are millions of fish in the ocean and we see them jumping all the time. I think that was really a random incident.”
Regarding the future of risk mitigation in the Mentawais, Ribas told me that there is a new project in the works to make a seaplane available starting next year. The plane would ferry guests from Padang’s airport to the Mentawais, but could also be summoned in emergencies for a more swift evacuation.
If anything, the incident serves as a reminder to weigh the risks and rewards of every surf session. I know in my case, it was always in the back of my head when pulling into Mentawai barrels – particularly those that I was unlikely to make. Ribas hopes that all the international media attention that Manfrini’s death received can put pressure on the government to better fund the medical facilities in the Mentawais. Because having sound medical attention seven minutes away instead of three hours will certainly save lives.
