Kurt Van Dyke found dead after armed break-in at Costa Rica home

Kurt Van Dyke, an American surfer from California, has been found dead following what authorities describe as an armed break-in at his home in Costa Rica. He was 66.

Van Dyke was discovered on Saturday morning at his apartment in Cahuita, a coastal town on the Caribbean side of the country, according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency.

Police said they received a call at around 10:50 a.m. reporting a man found unresponsive inside a room. Officers attended the property in the municipality of Talamanca, about 105 miles east of the capital San José, and confirmed the death.

Investigators believe Van Dyke was inside the apartment with a woman when two armed men allegedly entered the property. Preliminary reports indicate the suspects threatened them with a firearm and held them for several minutes while stealing valuables.

Authorities said Van Dyke died at the scene. He had been asphyxiated and sustained multiple stab wounds, according to agency spokesperson Carlos Valverde. The woman who was with him suffered minor injuries that were not life-threatening.

The body has been transferred to a forensic morgue to determine the exact cause of death. The case remains under active investigation as officials work to identify those responsible.

Prominent surfing family

Originally from Santa Cruz, California, Van Dyke was recognised within the international surfing community for competing and promoting the sport in the Caribbean region.

He was part of a well-known California surfing family. A 2021 obituary of his mother, Betty Van Dyke, described her as among the early female pioneers of the sport. Her first husband, Gene Van Dyke, was also a prominent northern California surfer, according to the Associated Press.

Van Dyke’s brother, Peter Van Dyke, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Kurt was “a very benevolent, giving person who would help just about anybody”.

Surf media platform Raw Surf also paid tribute, calling his death “an unimaginable loss” for the surfing community.

Authorities have not yet announced any arrests.