A childhood friend of the California surfer found murdered in Costa Rica has revealed the victim’s son’s haunting words when he broke the news.
Kurt Van Dyke, 66, was slain in a horrific home invasion in the city of Puerto Viejo de Talamanca where he lived on Saturday morning.
Two armed men stormed the property, zip-tied his girlfriend and escaped with valuables including their car. His girlfriend was unharmed.
Kurt’s childhood friend Dave Smith revealed more details of the shocking attack in a new interview on Monday night.
He told KSBWKurt’s oldest son, a bubble tea business owner who lives in the country, spoke to him following the slaying, saying: “Well, someone murdered my father.” Smith said he replied: “whew.”
He continued: “You know, it’s one of those things you just can’t believe: Kurt was very famous around here for just being a really good surfer.
“Everybody knew him — everybody that’s from Santa Cruz originally, and even people generationally, they know of him. Their kids know him, too.
“If there is a Steve McQueen of surfing, it would have been Kurt Van Dyke. He just had the swagger. He had the look — ever since he was 13 years old. And he had that softness about him.”
Kurt was found with multiple stab wounds and signs he had been suffocated. He was discovered under a bed in the house with a sheet covering him and a knife next to his head.
His girlfriend, identified only as Arroyo, 31, in reports, had been in the shower when the attack started before being zip-tied and assaulted. Cops later said she was unharmed.
Kurt’s brother revealed to the California Post on Monday that he believed the killing was “more nefarious” than just a random break-in.
While he knew of a girlfriend, he didn’t know much about her and warned there were people in the area “who did not like him.”
He told The Post on Monday: “There are people who like him and there are people who don’t. It was more nefarious.”
Kurt had several business partners in the region after moving to Costa Rica in the mid-1980s, according to his brother.
The two spoke weekly, and Peter revealed his brother had assured him recently “he had everything under control.”
He said he was in contact with the US Embassy in Costa Rica, which has communicated with the family regarding Kurt’s remains.
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