‘Disbelief and pain': Family's heartache after teen tradie dies in backflip accident in lounge room
Tributes are flowing for Sonny John Orlando Blundell, 18, after he suffered a major accident last Friday when he hit his head during a celebration at his new apartment in Queensland.
Mr Blundell had been performing a backflip when he hit his head.
He had just moved to the Sunshine State from the NSW Central Coast to start a new life with his girlfriend, where he had been offered a concreting job.
Mr Blundell's sister Izabella Cromack-Hay told The Courier Mail that she had Facetimed him on the day he hit his head.
'He hit his head in the lounge room on the ground and had a headache went to bed, 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.
Mr Blundell was left in a coma in the Queensland Hospital Intensive Care Unit, fighting the brain injury.
In a GoFundMe organised by his sister she said that Mr Blundell had been 'fighting this battle' as much as he could, but in an update on Tuesday she confirmed he had died in hospital, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
The crowd-funding page has raised over $23,000, with proceeds going towards bringing Mr Blundell home and organising his funeral.
'I ask everyone to still support our family as we need to bring Sonny home as his sisters are waiting for him,' Ms Cromack-Hay wrote on the page.
'We are all here in Queensland trying our hardest to organize this horrible time and prepare ourselves.
'We are all in disbelief and major pain.'
Tributes for the teenager flowed on social media, including from his mother Madeline Blundell who wrote: 'I'll bring you home my boy, my love, my soul and my heart, my best friend and my shoulder to laugh with and cry.
'I miss you so much my baby. Ma is here.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
McDonald's rejected from affluent Sydney suburb
One of Sydney's affluent Northern Beaches suburbs has said no to the golden arches, with a contentious proposal to build a McDonald's in Balgowlah shut down amid concerns of anti-social behaviour and congestion on an-already bustling road. The plan to build the restaurant – which would operate from 5am to midnight – at 37 Roseberry Street, was unanimously rejected by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel (NBLPP) on Wednesday. In its decision, the panel highlighted existing congestion in the area – which is home to businesses, dwellings and the Manly Vale B-Line bus stop, stating: 'The application has not demonstrated the proposed development will not have unreasonable impacts on the already congested surrounding road network'. It also pointed out 'incidents of anti-social behaviour in the vicinity recorded by police' – who have raised concerns the restaurant could make matters worse. In its submission to Northern Beaches Council, police said they had 'some reservations' about the restaurant – which was originally proposed to be open 24 hours a day – stating it 'may contribute to an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour, particularly at night unless adequate security measures are implemented'. 'Given the 24-hour operating model, this development has the potential to attract increased levels of crime, anti-social behaviour, and public safety concerns, particularly during late-night and early-morning trading periods,' police said in the report. Police also noted a comparable existing 24-hour McDonald's located nearby recorded 58 incidents over the last 24 months, including assaults, burglaries and malicious damage. Within the vicinity of the proposed Roseberry Street site, police recorded a total of 112 incidents over the past 24 months. 'The introduction of a 24-hour fast-food venue at this location has the potential to exacerbate these incident categories, particularly in relation to assaults, anti-social behaviour, and property damage at night, if reasonable mitigation strategies are not implemented.' McDonald's had originally proposed redeveloping the site – which is currently occupied by the Seven Miles Coffee Roasters plant, head office and cafe – and opening the restaurant for 24 hours a day, seven days a week in an almost $4 million Development Application lodged to the council in February. However, the hours were later scaled back to 5am to midnight, seven days a week amid community backlash. A community petition calling on officials to 'Say NO' to McDonald's was launched in February. At the time of publication, it had attracted over 3,000 signatures, with supporters raising concerns about traffic congestion and potential crime, as well as noise and rubbish pollution. 'We are calling for a rejection of the application … and to consider the cumulative impact of fast-food outlets on our neighbourhood's environment and character,' Petition creator Sarah Garland said, as per The Courier Mail. Prior to the proposal's rejection, McDonald's told the publication last month, the restaurant would 'create more than 100 new local jobs and represents an investment of more than $3.9m into the community'. contacted McDonald's for comment however a statement was not provided prior to publishing. Plans for Redfern McDonald's scrapped It comes after plans for a 24-hour Macca's in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern were scrapped following uproar from local residents and police earlier this year. The $3 million development plan for a two-storey restaurant on the area's main dining and shopping strip, Redfern Street, was blocked in a unanimous vote by the local planning panel at a City of Sydney council meeting in May. Police and local residents fought to stop the proposal, warning it would lead to a spike in theft and violent crime at night, and be a step backwards for the suburb. A request by a McDonald's representative for a six-week extension to try and resolve locals' concerns was also denied during the meeting, with one panel member suggesting those attempts would be like putting 'lipstick on what the community submissions largely believe to be a pig'. The local planning panel conceded that the development proposal 'has not adequately addressed crime prevention'.

The Australian
4 hours ago
- The Australian
Arncliffe, Sydney: Boy, 14, dies after falling from e-bike
A boy has died after he fell from an e-bike, NSW Police have confirmed. Emergency services were called to Broe Ave in Arncliffe, near Sydney Airport, about 2.45pm on Thursday following reports a rider had fallen from an e-bike. When police arrived they found a 14-year old boy with serious injuries. Paramedics treated him at the scene and rushed him to Sydney Children's Hospital in a critical condition, but NSW Police confirmed he in the evening he had died in hospital. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. More to come. Read related topics: Sydney Airport

The Australian
4 hours ago
- The Australian
Helensvale alleged teen attack on man in his 60s in shopping centre, police respond
A group of teens have been arrested following an alleged brawl at a shopping centre, which police say broke out after a man in his 60s was assaulted. Police were called to a shopping centre in Helensvale, in the northern Gold Coast, just before 3:00pm on Thursday. Early reports from police indicate that one of the teenagers allegedly assaulted a man in his 60s, after which a brawl allegedly broke out between several other teenagers. A group of teenagers have been arrested following an alleged brawl at a shopping centre in Helensvale. Picture: 9 News The brawl was allegedly sparked after the man in his 60s was assaulted. Picture: Nine News The man was injured in the attack and assisted by paramedics at the scene. He has been taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A Queensland Police spokesperson said security personnel and an officer were also allegedly assaulted during the incident with the teens. Queensland Police said a security guard and officer were also allegedly assaulted during the incident. Picture: 9 News Footage obtained by 9 News Queensland captures the moment several are handcuffed and taken into custody. They are assisting police with their inquiries. Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. @brendandkearns Brendan Kearns