Hawaiian surfer and skateboarder Kalani David reportedly died from a seizure on September 17, 2022, while surfing in Costa Rica. He was 24.
Kalani David had a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome “is a condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart that leads to periods of rapid heart rate (tachycardia).”
Kalani David’s battle with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was a long one. In August of 2016, he had a seizure while skating at a park in Oceanside, California. His condition worsened after that, and just before Christmas of the same year, he suffered a six-hour seizure that nearly took his life while at home on Oahu.
He spent two days in a medically induced coma and subsequently underwent surgery in early 2017 to remove the extra muscle that had grown on his heart that was causing the seizures.
The syndrome is a congenital heart defect that is relatively rare, and while episodes of WPW syndrome generally aren’t life-threatening, they can, on occasion, lead to sudden cardiac death.
Kalani David’s death was announced by his friend Peter King on Instagram;
“Oh man. Love you Kalani. Only God knows His timing. Life isn’t easy. Always battling. Always Learning. Heartbreaking News. Kalani passed away in Costa Rica today, he had a massive seizure while surfing”.