Matt Dee, who served as a Bondi lifeguard for a decade and appeared on the Channel 10 reality show between 2007 and 2015, passed away under unspecified circumstances. His death was confirmed in an online statement shared by the clothing and events brand he co-founded. Dee’s cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
The statement added that Matt touched the lives of many, noting his extensive advocacy work and promising that funeral details would be shared once they have been finalised. The statement also included the numbers of mental health and suicide prevention services such as Lifeline and Beyond Blue.
Lifeguard Career and Tributes From Bondi Rescue Peers
During his tenure on the sandy shores of Australia’s most famous beach, Dee became a familiar face to millions of viewers. While reporting dates his television run from 2008 to 2017, other sources note his time on screen spanned from 2007 to 2015 across a full decade of service on the rescue squad. The tight-knit family was raised by their single mother in Melbourne, and they holidayed in Torquay where they learned to surf.
Following the announcement, fellow ocean professionals and friends rushed to social media to share memories. Former co-star Trent ‘Maxi’ Maxwell posted a brief message honoring his peer, writing rest easy brother
on FTW’s post. Tributes flooded FTW Revolution’s announcement, with many remembering Dee as “one of a kind.” One commenter wrote, Rest easy, Matt. You were always my favourite lifeguard, and my admiration has only grown after learning and seeing what you stood for.
Another wrote, A legend within humanity. Matt, my dear second son, at peace with JD and Rach, sucking oranges with gran.
Other tributes remembered him as one of a kind, while supporters across Instagram and LinkedIn highlighted his transition from surf rescue to full-time mental health advocacy.
Advocacy Work and the Founding of FTW Revolution
Dee’s dedication to mental health initiatives stemmed from profound family tragedy. Within a single year, he lost both of his siblings to severe mental health illnesses. His older brother, Jonathan, who had bipolar disorder, died at age 34 in 2009. Months later, his younger sister, Rachel Bridger Dee, who lived with schizophrenia for about a decade, died at age 30 in December 2009. The Bondi Rescue star was two years younger than Jonathon and three years older than Rachel.
In a 2011 interview with The Sun-Herald, Dee reflected on the weight of those losses, emphasizing that his siblings did their best to manage their illnesses and that the conditions were not their fault. What happened was not their fault,
Dee said in the interview. 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 about living with the guilt of their deaths, feeling he could have done more, and he later became an ambassador for the Schizophrenia Research Institute.
Driven by those experiences, Dee started FTW Revolution in 2014 as an alternative outreach resource for young Australians who might hesitate to contact traditional helplines. Australian big wave surfer Justen “Jughead” Allport explained in a 2015 interview that the venture aimed to connect kids from tougher backgrounds with tangible support. Matty just wanted kids that were down, that were from poor backgrounds, to connect with something that could help them,
Allport said. Matt's just trying to be an alternative for the people who aren't gonna ring Lifeline. Matt and FTW are about turning negatives into positives.
Partnership With Suicide Prevention Australia
FTW Revolution also served as a fundraising engine, directing financial backing toward Suicide Prevention Australia (SPA), where Dee served as an official ambassador. According to organizational records, the clothing and events brand raised at least $500,000 for SPA. We send our war cry to the government asking why the f—k more is not being done about suicide, Australias [sic] biggest killer for people under 44,
Dee said in a LinkedIn post about the company. We represent the underdogs in the trenches, the battlers in the dark places.
A spokesperson for the peak body told Yahoo Lifestyle that Dee made a positive impact in suicide prevention through tireless outreach, noting that Matt reached many through his advocacy, making a positive impact in suicide prevention, a cause he cared for and championed.
Suicide Prevention Australia spokesperson, via au.lifestyle.yahoo.com
In the wake of his passing, the peak body and related channels reiterated crisis contact availability. Australians seeking support can reach the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, Lifeline at 13 11 14, the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line 13YARN on 13 92 76, Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Headspace on 1800 650 890, ReachOut at au.reachout.com, MensLine Australia at 1300 789 978, or QLife on 1800 184 527.
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