Kurt Van Dyke, a Santa Cruz-born surfer and longtime hotel owner in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica, was found dead in his apartment last Saturday after what investigators describe as a violent break-in. The killing has rattled friends in the Caribbean beach town and back home in the Bay Area. Van Dyke's partner survived the attack and told authorities the assailants fled the scene in a stolen car.
How the attack unfolded
According to preliminary police reports cited by the San Francisco Chronicle, the 66-year-old was discovered under a bed with a sheet covering his head and a knife lying nearby. Investigators documented indications consistent with asphyxiation along with multiple stab wounds, according to those early reports.
Partner tied up, suspects on the run
La Nación reports that Van Dyke's 31-year-old girlfriend, identified as Arroyo, was in the shower when two armed men entered the apartment. The intruders allegedly tied her hands and feet with plastic ties, assaulted her and then made off with valuables and a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Security cameras later captured suspects leaving the area in two vehicles, one of them matching the description of the stolen Elantra, according to La Nación.
A life rooted in surf and hospitality
Van Dyke moved to Costa Rica's southern Limón province in 1983 and spent roughly four decades running a modest hotel that became a magnet for traveling surfers, as detailed by CRHoy. In the water, he was a regular presence at Salsa Brava, the powerful Caribbean reef break where his consistent lineup appearances earned him a nickname among locals and visiting surfers.
Local leaders and visitors respond
"I am deeply saddened," Roger Sams, president of the Southern Caribbean Chamber of Tourism and Commerce, told San Francisco Chronicle, calling Van Dyke's death a blow to a community that has long promoted itself as a peaceful destination. Friends, neighbors and former guests have filled social media with photos and stories, many remembering him as generous, low-key and endlessly patient when it came to pointing newcomers toward the region's best waves.
Investigation and security context
The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) has taken control of the case, with officers securing the apartment and collecting camera footage and witness statements, officials told news outlets. As the investigation moves forward, the killing is also being viewed against a backdrop of broader security problems in Limón province, which authorities say has experienced elevated homicide rates in recent years tied to organized trafficking networks, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Bay Area roots
Van Dyke came from a well-known Santa Cruz surfing family that also operated Van Dyke Ranch near Gilroy, a long-running agricultural business known for apricots and cherries. His mother, Betty Van Dyke, was a prominent local figure who died in 2021. The family's farming legacy and surf history are documented in regional archives and oral histories maintained by the UC Santa Cruz Library.
What comes next
Authorities have not announced any arrests and are urging anyone with information to contact the OIJ. Investigators are expected to lean heavily on security footage as they work to identify both the suspects and the vehicles seen fleeing the area. In the meantime, surfers and longtime friends on both coasts are mourning a man many simply say "left waves" behind, a phrase that speaks to how tightly knit the Santa Cruz and Costa Rica surf communities have become over the past four decades.
