A single lightning strike in Bali instantly killed two surfers on their boards, authorities in Indonesia say. Belgian-born former soccer pro Denis Dasoul was killed along with his surfing instructor at Batu Bolong beach in Canggu on Sunday when the bolt of lightning hit as they were finishing a training session, 9 News reports. Witnesses say the men, who had been sitting up on their boards, fell into the water after the lightning strike, which turned parts of their bodies blue, apparently from bruising. The Mirror describes the day as gray and drizzly, but reports the bolt was an unexpected one.
Police say both men were "dead on the spot." Dasoul, who played for soccer clubs in Belgium, Austria, and Italy during his pro career, had been living in Melbourne, Australia, and working as a project manager since 2011. "Denis was a marvelous person who lived every day like it was the last," says a friend, journalist Pascal Scime, per the Herald Sun. "He was always smiling and joking. A very nice guy. He was in Bali for holidays with his girlfriend." The beach is described online as one of the best places to learn to surf in Bali. (In Canada, lightning hit a bride's father during his wedding speech.)