18-Year-Old Australian Man Dies After Doing Backflip To Celebrate "New Life" With Girlfriend

An 18-year-old Australian man died on Monday after hitting his head while doing a backflip in his new apartment. According to People, Sonny Blundell was celebrating his move from Central Coast in New South Wales to the Gold Coast in Queensland when the incident took place on June 24. He was hospitalised and placed into a coma before undergoing brain surgery. He later died from his injuries on June 30. 

Mr Blundell's sister, Izabella Cromack-Hay, said that the 18-year-old had recently moved to the Gold Coast suburb "to start a new life with his girlfriend" after being offered a concreting job in the area. "Moving to Queensland only a month ago, which was his greatest accomplishment, he worked the hardest concreting and making himself known," she said, per the outlet. 

Ms Cromack-Hay also shared that her brother had Facetimed with her on the day of the incident. He was with his friend Mitchell Bullard when he did the backflip. "He hit his head in the lounge room on the ground and had a headache went to bed. "(He) woke up went to the toilet vomiting and then passed out that's when his best friend found him unresponsive in the morning," she said. 

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The 18-year-old was sent to the Queensland Hospital Intensive Care Unit. He suffered "multiple strokes" and a brain bleed ahead of having brain surgery. "The first 24hrs was the most critical which we nearly lost him after having multiple strokes and another bleed which lead to him needing a drain in his brain," the sister shared on a GoFundMe page. 

On Tuesday, the sister said, "Our beautiful Sonny has grown his wings and passed away 30/03/2007-30/6/2025. We are all in disbelief and major pain." "I ask everyone to still support our family as we need to bring Sonny home as his sisters are waiting for him. We are all here in Queensland trying our hardest to organize this horrible time and prepare ourselves," she added. 

Separately, speaking to a local media outlet, she said that her brother "touched everyone's soul so deeply, he was the kindest, loving and nurturing man you could have met." "Sonny will forever be missed and forever loved by all," she added.