Surfer Kalani David Dead at 24 After Suffering Seizure in Water: 'Best Brother I Could Ever Ask For'
Damien Poullenot/WSL via Getty
Professional surfer and skateboarder Kalani David died at age 24 on Saturday after suffering a medical emergency in the water, the Associated Press reported.
David was surfing at Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica when "apparently he suffered some kind of epileptic seizure and drowned," the Judicial Investigation Agency told the AP.
The young athlete, born Kalani David Feeney Barrientos, suffered from a congenital heart disease called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The condition is due to an extra electrical pathway in the heart, which affects the heart rate and can cause paralysis and seizures.
His death is still under investigation, according to Costa Rican officials who spoke to the news outlet.
Matt Dunbar/World Surf League via Getty
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Friends and family have begun speaking out since his passing, including his younger brother Keoni, who shared a tribute to his brother via Instagram story. "You are the best brother I could ever ask for. I will miss you Kalani," Keoni wrote.
The brothers often cheered on the other via social media. In 2021, Keoni shared a photo with Kalani and the caption, "I can't believe it's been five years since I went to Australia to play at a concert while my brother was surfing his life away at a WQS. Memories are fun especially when they can be meaningful!"
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David has previously dealt with medical issues during workouts, and in 2016 said that he was "grateful to be alive" after having a seizure at a California skate park.
"I was skating with @max_jenson @tonechapo @travisrivera and all of a sudden I went into a seizure, fell on my face and woke up in an ambulance also my heart stopped. I had 3 seizures after that when I got to the hospital. So grateful to be alive!" he posted on Instagram at the time.
In 2012, David won the Junior World Surfing title in Panama, solidifying his success as a professional surfer. At just 14 years old, he was "a skating prodigy" according to his 2016 profile in Stab Magazine.
During the same interview, David told the magazine he could never choose between his passions for skating and surfing. "If it was life or death, and I had to choose skating or surfing, I'd choose death."
