Tributes have been paid to a Briton who died after slipping and hitting his head while jumping from a bridge into the water below during a night out with friends in Australia.
Joshua Santos Christian, in his 30s, died early Sunday morning in the Queensland coastal town of Noosa Sound.
Mr Christian, who moved to Brisbane from the Wirral, was among a group of friends who took turns jumping from the Noosa Sound Bridge into the water below when disaster struck.
Joshua Santos Christian, in his 30s, died early Sunday morning in the Queensland coastal town of Noosa Sound.
Mr Christian, who moved to Brisbane from the Wirral, was among a group of friends who took turns jumping from the Noosa Sound Bridge into the water below when disaster struck
After completing one jump, he returned to the bridge for another attempt.
Unfortunately, he lost his balance while crossing the railing and hit his head during the descent.
When Mr Christian failed to get out of the water, his friends immediately began a frantic search before contacting emergency services at around 1am.
His body was recovered around 6 a.m. after a local boat operator used sonar equipment to help find him.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Now, so are his heartbroken family and friends raise money to repatriate his body to Britain.
A GoFundMe page said Mr Christian was ‘in a happy place, destroying his life with his Australian tribe and his loving girlfriend Becca’.
“He spent a happy and loving life and always lived by his motto ‘here for a good time, not for a long time’.”
The tragic death follows several police warnings against jumping from the Noosa Sound Bridge (file image of people jumping from the bridge)
“I can’t put into words how special you were and how you lit up every room,” friend Jimmy Allen wrote on social media.
‘You always wanted the best for everyone and made everyone feel so special.
“I will always think of you, my brother, and will always have a special place in my heart.
“I’ll see you on the other side.”
Another friend said Christian’s death was “heartbreakingly tragic.”
“Sometimes the greatest flames are taken from us,” said another.
His funeral will take place at Landican Crematorium in Birkenhead.
The tragic death follows several warnings from police not to jump from the bridge. Despite warnings that it could lead to serious injury, it has remained a popular tourist activity.
Now-retired Senior Sergeant Peter Feldman previously explained what makes it so risky.
“They are not only risking their own lives, but also the lives of people in passing boats,” he told Noosa News.
‘It is an offense to jump off certain structures and they are breaking the law.
‘It’s not the height of the bridge that makes it dangerous, but the way they can fall. It only takes a fall of a few meters to seriously injure someone.”
A spokesman for the Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British man who died in Australia and are in contact with local authorities.’
