An 18-year-old teenager has tragically died after attempting a backflip to celebrate moving out of his family home to begin a new chapter of his life.
Sonny Blundell had recently relocated from New South Wales to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, with his girlfriend. The incident occurred on June 24, shortly after the move.
According to Australian media, Sonny was found unresponsive by his best friend, Mitchell Bullard, in the living room of their new home. He was rushed to hospital and admitted to intensive care, where he was placed in a medically induced coma and later underwent brain surgery.
A fundraising page created by his family revealed that Sonny had suffered multiple strokes and a brain bleed that required the insertion of a drain.
His older sister, Izabella Cromack-Hay, shared a heartbreaking update on June 30 confirming Sonny’s passing.
“Our beautiful Sonny has grown his wings and passed away,” she wrote. “We are all in disbelief and major pain. I ask everyone to continue supporting our family as we need to bring Sonny home—his sisters are waiting for him.”
She added: “We are all here in Queensland trying our hardest to organise during this horrible time. Please consider donating to support Sonny’s mum, his sisters, our family, and to cover funeral expenses. Rest in peace, our beautiful boy.”
Izabella told The Daily Telegraph that Sonny had only recently made the move in pursuit of a fresh start with his girlfriend.
“Moving to Queensland only a month ago was his greatest accomplishment,” she said. “He worked incredibly hard concreting and making a name for himself.”
She also shared that Sonny had FaceTimed her on the day of the incident and had been celebrating the move to Southport Beach with Mitchell when he attempted the backflip.
“He hit his head on the ground and later went to bed with a headache,” she explained. “When he woke up, he went to the toilet, started vomiting, and then passed out. That’s when his best friend found him unresponsive in the morning.”
Despite medical efforts, Sonny sadly passed away in the hospital.
