A newlywed Australian tourist tragically drowned after being swept out to sea by a freak wave while on his honeymoon in Bali.
Jacob Vennix, 32, and his wife, Kimberly Fuller, 38, were enjoying their time at Pasut Beach, located about 30 km west of Denpasar. The incident occurred around 3:50 pm on Monday.
Jacob got caught in a rip current and was pulled out to sea. Kimberly immediately called for help, and a local fisherman tried to reach Jacob in his boat. However, the fisherman struggled due to the strong and shifting currents.
Tabanan Police spokesperson I Gusti Made Berata said that when the fisherman finally managed to get Jacob into the boat, a large wave caused it to flip. “The victim was later swept by the wave onto the beach,” he said.
Locals and Kimberly, who were waiting on the beach, rushed to help. They found Jacob unconscious. Heartbreaking footage shows Kimberly carrying a beach chair cushion into the water, trying to bring her husband to shore.
Kimberly performed CPR with the help of locals. Jacob was then taken to Tabanan Public Hospital, where he was sadly declared dead.
Jacob and Kimberly had just married on December 21, just nine days before this tragic event. Photos from their wedding showed the couple happy and smiling as they exchanged vows at the Hard Days Night function centre in Adelaide.
Kimberly shared a photo on Facebook, writing, “Beautiful day marrying a beautiful man x.” Jacob had posted just a day earlier, calling Kimberly “my stunning wife” and expressing how proud he was of her.
The couple met in 2022 at a Coles supermarket, where Kimberly’s son was playing on a Guide Dogs collection box. Their one-year-old son is vision-impaired, and Jacob recently ran in the City-to-Bay fun run blindfolded to raise money for research into his condition.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been contacted for comment.