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Skating prodigy Kalani David reportedly died on Saturday after suffering a seizure while surfing off the coast of Costa Rica. He was 24.
News of the Hawaiian surfer's demise was first reported by surfing news site The Inertia. The website added that the skateboarding champion suffered from a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Wolff-Parkinson-White can cause tachycardia, which meant that his heart had the tendency to beat rapidly at times.
The condition affects between 0.1 and 0.3% in the population of the global population and is said to be non-lethal to most. According to John Hopkins:
“The biggest risk is for sudden death from a heart attack, which tachycardia can cause. However, this is extremely rare, occurring in less than one-half of one per cent of cases.”
Kalani David had suffered seizures related to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in 2016
Kalani David suffered his first seizure due to the condition in August 2016 while skateboarding in California.
While talking about the incident, Kalani said in an Instagram post:
"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 three seizures after that when I got to the hospital. So grateful to be alive."
He had another seizure later that year during Christmas. The late Hawaiian star seized for more than six hours, sending him into a temporary coma which lasted for two days. The surfer was at home in Oahu when the incident occurred.
Later, while giving an interview for a surfing magazine, he said:
"They don’t know for sure, but they think it’s because I have Wolf Parkinson-White Syndrome, which messes up the electricity that runs through my heart, It causes an extra muscle to form on your heart, and that thing speeds your heart rate up way too high, so I have to get surgery to remove the muscle."
He later underwent surgery in 2017, where they removed extra muscle from his heart that caused the seizures.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is caused by an "extra signaling pathway between the heart's upper and lower chambers that causes a fast heartbeat."
The condition is a fairly rare heart condition present at birth. WPW syndrome isn't usually life-threatening but can become the cause of numerous other heart problems.
Basic signs and symptoms of the condition include:
- A rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety
Sometimes, sudden cardiac arrest triggered by the condition can cause deaths in children and young adults.
Treatment regarding the condition includes various kinds of procedures like medications, cardioversion and arrhythmia.
Friends remember Kalani David after his death
Friends remembered Kalani David and praised him after news of his demise spread on social media. Surfer Kelly uploaded an Instagram story saying:
“Kalani was one of the most talented ... surfer/skater on Earth, constantly pushing the limits every time he was on his feet ... Condolences to the huge community of friends Kalani had coast to coast and across the globe.”
Meanwhile, photographer Patrick Eichstaedt uploaded a picture with Kalani David and shared how the two met Kalani when he was only 6 years old. He sent love and support to the skater's family.
Kalani's family is trying to get his body out of Costa Rica and give him a proper funeral in Florida, America.
