A beloved Aussie dad has died while on a surfing holiday in Indonesia.
Western Australian man Jeremy ‘Jezza’ Wann, 48, died while surfing in North Sumatra province with his teenage son Mason and friends on Thursday.
It is understood the father-of-three hit his head on a reef and was knocked unconscious. He could sadly not be resuscitated despite frantic efforts.
The passionate surfer is survived by his wife Rikki, their two sons aged 17 and 16, and their 12-year-old daughter, the West Australian reports.
‘He worked hard to ensure his family had everything they needed. Jeremy made his parents proud and was always there for his sister,’ the family said in a statement.
‘He will be missed by all who were lucky enough to have met him and had him as part of their lives. Jeremy lived and worked on the ocean, he had a great love for surfing which he shared with his family and friends.
‘The family want to express their deep gratitude to Jeremy’s mates, Daniel, Jay and Josh who were on the surf trip and have watched over Mason until he made it home safely to his family.’
Mason was reunited with his mother at Perth Airport on Friday with the family now waiting for Mr Wann’s body to be repatriated to Australia.
Jeremy ‘Jezza’ Wann, 48, died while surfing in North Sumatra province with his teenage son Mason and friends on Thursday (the father-of-three is pictured)
‘The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Indonesia,’ a DFAT spokesperson told NewsWire.
‘We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time.
‘Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.’
DFAT’s consular assistance can include support and guidance to families and liaison with local and Australian authorities to assist with funeral arrangements or the repatriation of remains.
Friends have rallied around the Wann family, with a GoFundMe page raising over $40,000 in less than 48 hours.
‘Our best friend and brother, Husband, Father, and Son – Jeremy Wann has sadly passed away in a tragic surfing accident in Indonesia, doing what he loved the most,’ organiser Dee Wilson wrote.
The passionate surfer (pictured right) is survived by his wife Rikki and their three children
It is understood Mr Wann hit his head on a reef and was knocked unconscious while surfing in North Sumatra province on Thursday (the area is highlighted on this map)
‘Loved and respected by all lucky enough to know him we want to raise some funds to assist with the repatriation process and to support his family during this extremely sad and difficult time.
‘We will miss him dearly and will support his family as best we can.’
The page has raised more than $42,000, blowing past its $15,000 target.