Former Bondi Rescue lifeguard Matt Dee dies
Matt Dee, a former lifeguard on the reality television series Bondi Rescue, has died. His death was announced on Wednesday morning on his Instagram page, alongside an image of Dee holding a beer.
The post read: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our Matt Dee. Matt touched the lives of many, he also did amazing work and he will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those who knew and loved him."
The statement added that funeral arrangements and details would be shared once they had been finalised. It also included the numbers of mental health and suicide prevention services such as Lifeline and Beyond Blue.
Dee appeared on Bondi Rescue from 2008 to 2017. He was the founder and chief executive of FTW Revolution, a clothing and events brand focused on mental health and suicide prevention. He was also an ambassador for Suicide Prevention Australia. The company said it had raised at least $500,000 for the organisation.
Dee's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
Tributes flowed on the Instagram post from friends and former colleagues. Trent Maxwell, also known as lifeguard Maxi, wrote "Rest easy brother". The official Bondi Lifeguards page commented "Sad news" with a broken heart emoji. Former NRL player Josh Dugan wrote "Rest in paradise brother... one of a kind".
Ryan Clark, known as lifeguard Whippet, paid tribute on his Instagram stories, writing "Big love Matty Dee" and "You had a wild wide and you will be missed by many".
In a LinkedIn post about his role at FTW Revolution, Dee wrote that "standing up for your fellow soldier" was important. He also wrote: "We send our war cry to the government asking why the f---k more is not being done about suicide, Australias biggest killer for people under 44."
Dee had previously spoken about his personal connection to mental health issues. In 2011, he told The Sun-Herald about the loss of his brother and sister within a year, both after battles with mental illness. His younger sister Rachel lived with schizophrenia, and his older brother Jonathan had bipolar disorder.
A spokesperson for Suicide Prevention Australia told The Nightly that Dee's advocacy made "a positive impact" on the country.
"We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Matt Dee's passing through the FTW Revolution Instagram page today," the spokesperson said. "Matt reached many through his advocacy, making a positive impact in suicide prevention, a cause he cared for and championed."
Lifeline can be contacted on 13 11 14.