Former Bondi Rescue Lifeguard Matt Dee, Mental Health Advocate Who Lost Two Siblings To Suicide, Dies

SYDNEY — Matt Dee, a former lifeguard who became a household name across Australia as one of the stars of the long-running reality television series “Bondi Rescue,” has died, according to an announcement shared by a clothing brand he championed as a mental health advocate.

The news was posted Wednesday morning on the Instagram page of FTW Revolution, a clothing label connected to Suicide Prevention Australia, for which Dee served as an ambassador. The post appeared alongside a photograph of Dee laughing while holding a beer.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the heartbreaking news of the passing of our Matt Dee,” the statement read. “Matt touched the lives of many, he also did amazing work and he will be deeply missed and forever remembered by those who knew and loved him.”

Dee’s cause of death has not been confirmed. The FTW Revolution page said funeral arrangements would be shared publicly once finalized.

“This page is being monitored, however, please understand that we may not be able to respond to every message,” the statement continued. “We truly appreciate every kind message, thought and tribute.”

Dee appeared on “Bondi Rescue,” the Australian reality series following lifeguards at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach, from 2008 to 2017. The show became one of Australia’s most internationally recognized television exports, airing in dozens of countries and turning several of its lifeguard cast members, including Dee, into recognizable public figures both in Australia and abroad.

Beyond his work on the beach, Dee was widely known for his advocacy around mental health, a cause that became deeply personal after he lost both his brother and sister within roughly a year of each other following their struggles with severe mental illness.

His younger sister, Rachel Bridger Dee, died in December 2009 at age 30, after living with schizophrenia for about a decade. His older brother, Jonathan, who had bipolar disorder, died months earlier at age 34. Matt Dee was two years younger than Jonathan and three years older than Rachel. The three siblings were raised by their single mother in Melbourne and spent family holidays surfing at Torquay, on Victoria’s coast.

In a 2011 interview with The Sun-Herald, Dee reflected on the deaths of his brother and sister, describing the guilt and grief that followed.

“What happened was not their fault,” Dee said at the time. “They did their best to manage their illnesses. It wasn’t their fault. They had a problem inside their heads. It’s something we don’t understand. How would we know what it’s like?”

Dee was open in subsequent years about carrying guilt over his siblings’ deaths, saying he often wondered whether he could have done more to help them. That experience shaped much of his later public work, as he became an ambassador for the Schizophrenia Research Institute and later helped launch FTW Revolution, a clothing brand built around raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention and mental health support.

Tributes poured in across social media following Wednesday’s announcement, with fans and former colleagues remembering Dee as a warm and larger-than-life presence both on screen and off.

“Rest easy, Matt. You were always my favourite lifeguard, and my admiration has only grown after learning and seeing what you stood for,” one person wrote in response to the announcement.

Another commenter wrote: “RIP Matty Dee your humour heroism will be missed and remembered every day.”

A third tribute read: “Rip my mate Matt Dee. We had so much fun surfing and running a muck together growing up. You definitely lived life to the fullest, see you in the next life legend Spikas.”

“Bondi Rescue” first premiered in 2006 and has run for numerous seasons since, following the daily work of lifeguards patrolling one of Australia’s most famous and heavily trafficked beaches. The show’s format, blending real rescue footage with the personalities of its lifeguard cast, helped popularize a genre of beach-based reality programming that has since been replicated in other countries. Dee was among the cast members who helped define the series during its most widely watched years, appearing in footage that showcased both the physical demands of lifeguarding and the camaraderie among Bondi’s beach patrol team.

Since departing the show, Dee had largely shifted his public focus toward mental health advocacy, using his public profile to speak openly about grief, guilt and the importance of seeking support, subjects that remain heavily stigmatized in many communities despite growing public awareness campaigns in Australia over the past decade.

Suicide Prevention Australia, the national peak body for suicide prevention with which FTW Revolution is connected, has continued to expand its public campaigns in recent years, working alongside ambassadors like Dee to encourage Australians experiencing mental health difficulties, or those supporting a loved one through one, to seek help rather than suffer in silence.

Dee’s death adds to a string of recent losses among public figures connected to the reality television and entertainment world in Australia, prompting renewed conversation among fans and mental health advocates about the pressures faced by those in the public eye, as well as the broader toll of grief and loss within families affected by serious mental illness.

No further details about the circumstances surrounding Dee’s death had been released as of Wednesday. FTW Revolution said additional information, including funeral arrangements, would be shared once his family had finalized those plans.

This is a developing story, and further details may emerge in the coming days as tributes continue and formal arrangements are announced.

This report touches on suicide and severe mental illness, which can be distressing subjects. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. In Australia, Lifeline can be reached at 13 11 14, available 24 hours a day, or by text at 0477 13 11 14.