Bondi lifeguard Matt Dee spent a decade as a figurehead for popular Australian reality show Bondi Rescue, but the heartbreaking story behind his personal life and career change has surfaced following his tragic death last week.
Dee retired from his role on Bondi Rescue in 2017 to focus on mental health advocacy platform FTW Revolution, which he founded to honour his brother and sister who both lost their battles to mental health issues in 2009.
Dee’s older brother Jonathan died by suicide at just 34 years old, following a life-long battle with bipolar disorder.
The brothers’ younger sister Rachel took her own life less than a year later at age 30, following a decade-long diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Heartbreakingly, Dee’s grandmother also died by suicide when he was just 15.
FTW Revolution began as a clothing and events brand aiming to raise funds for Suicide Prevention Australia.
Dee was open about the guilt he carried surrounding his family’s deaths and that FTW Revolution was his attempt at opening a safe line of communication for anyone struggling with their mental health.
He used the brand to honour his loved ones, regularly sharing birthday and death anniversary posts on social platforms for the organisation.
“It wasn’t their fault, they had a problem inside their heads,” Dee told Nine Newspapers in an interview regarding his siblings.
“It’s something we don’t understand. How would we know what it’s like?”
The tagline of the advocacy platform became “live for the lost”, as Dee moved towards the goal of creating a suicide preventation app service for people who did not feel supported by traditional prevention and awareness hotlines.
Dee was also a constant advocate for public health awareness around mental health, calling on the government to make changes to funding and research efforts.
Emotional tributes and condolences have rolled in following the announcement of Dee’s death on the FTW Revolution Instagram page.
The cause of Dee’s death is still unclear, with close friends admitting they are still unsure how he passed.
