Former Footballer Dies After Lightning Strike During Bali Surf Lesson

Former footballer Denis Dasoul was killed on Sunday after being struck by lightning during a surfing lesson off the coast of Bali.

Dasoul, a 34-year-old Belgian who had spent the past few years living in Melbourne, was reportedly hit around 2:15 PM on Sunday at Batu Bolong beach in Canggu.

His instructor also died in the incident.

An eyewitness says the pair were finishing their session at the time of the lightning strike, and that both men collapsed off their boards and fell into the water.

Police spokesman Johannes H. Widya Nainggolan said they were retrieved from the water around half an hour later and were taken to hospital, but the pair had “died on the spot.”

Dasoul had captained the Belgian youth team, before embarking on a career that took him across his home nation, Austria, and Italy. He retired in 2011, before moving to Australia with his partner.

Port Melbourne Sharks Soccer Club offered their condolences to the family and friends of their former player.

Standard Liège, the Belgian footballing powerhouse where Dasoul spent the first years of his career, issued a statement after his tragic death.

Former clubs Royal Antwerp and Torres Sassari have posted similar messages.

RIP.

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