Former Bondi Rescue lifeguard Matt Dee has died, prompting tributes to the television personality and mental health campaigner whose advocacy was shaped by the loss of two siblings to suicide.
Dee became a familiar face on the Australian reality series during a decade with the Bondi lifeguard team before leaving the programme in 2017 to devote himself to FTW Revolution, a mental health advocacy organisation he founded in memory of his family.
His death was announced by FTW Revolution on social media. The organisation said Dee had “touched the lives of many” and had done “amazing work”, adding that he would be “deeply missed and forever remembered by those who knew and loved him”.
The cause of his death has not been made public, while funeral arrangements are still being finalised.
Matt Dee’s mental health advocacy
Dee’s older brother, Jonathan, died by suicide aged 34 after a lifelong battle with bipolar disorder. Less than a year later, his younger sister Rachel also took her own life aged 30, following a decade-long diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Dee’s grandmother had also died by suicide when he was 15. He later spoke openly about the guilt and confusion he carried after the deaths, saying his siblings had been dealing with “a problem inside their heads”.
“It’s something we don’t understand. How would we know what it’s like?” he told Nine Newspapers in an interview.
FTW Revolution began as a clothing and events brand raising money for Suicide Prevention Australia. Its message, “live for the lost”, reflected Dee’s aim of creating a safe way for people struggling with their mental health to seek support.
He also campaigned for greater public awareness of mental illness and called on the Australian government to improve funding and research into suicide prevention.
Tributes have been posted by former colleagues and the wider Bondi lifeguard community since the announcement of his death. Dee had also served as an ambassador for Suicide Prevention Australia.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the SANE Australia Helpline on 1800 18 SANE (7263).
