An 18-year-old Australian man tragically died after hitting his head while attempting a backflip inside his apartment on June 24.
Sonny Blundell had recently relocated from the Central Coast of New South Wales to Southport on the Gold Coast in Queensland. According to PEOPLE and Australian media reports, the fatal incident occurred while he was celebrating the move with his best friend and roommate, Mitchell Bullard.
“He was celebrating moving into the Meriton on Southport beach with his best friend when he did a backflip and hit his head,” Blundell’s sister, Izabella Cromack-Hay, told The Courier Mail.
After hitting his head in the lounge area, Blundell initially experienced a headache and went to bed. Later, he reportedly woke up feeling ill, vomited, and then lost consciousness. His roommate found him unresponsive the next morning and called for emergency help.
Blundell was rushed to the hospital and placed in a coma. He underwent emergency brain surgery following a series of strokes and internal bleeding, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family. Despite doctors’ efforts, Blundell passed away on June 30—six days after the incident.
Cromack-Hay said her brother had just begun building the life he dreamed of. “Moving to Queensland was his biggest accomplishment,” she said. “He worked hard in concreting and was determined to make a name for himself.” She also shared that she had FaceTimed him on the day of the accident.
The fundraiser, launched while Blundell was still fighting for his life, raised more than 80% of its $28,000 goal before his passing.
Describing her brother as full of life and deeply compassionate, Cromack-Hay told Daily Mail Australia, “Sonny had an extraordinary lifestyle. He lived his short 18 years to the fullest. He touched everyone’s soul so deeply—he was the kindest, most loving and nurturing man you could have met.”
