Father remembered after death from freak accident at Bondi Beach
A Sydney father who would “do anything for his daughter” has been remembered after he tragically died following a freak accident at Bondi Beach.
NSW
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A father who would “do anything for his daughter” has been remembered after he died following a freak accident at Bondi Beach.
Peter Michaelson passed away after an incident at Bondi Beach on February 1.
Mr Michaelson swam from the shore with two friends around to ‘Flat Rock’, something he’d done “hundreds of times”.
When Mr Michaelson went to swim back to the beach, it’s believed he dived head first into rocks, leaving him unconscious.
NSW Ambulance and an emergency helicopter rushed to the scene to treat the 57-year-old for critical injuries.
He was flown to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he passed away the following day.
Close friend Arik Shifroni said family and friends were still coming to grips with his death.
“We were all very surprised, because we’d done it (dived into the water) hundreds of times from that area,” Mr Shifroni said.
“He was very fit, very tall. For his age he was in great shape. He trained every day. He dedicated his life to swimming.
“It’s just a massive shock.”
Mr Michaelson was a beloved member of the Warringah Masters Swimming Club and represented England in a Junior Commonwealth Games.
Mr Shifroni said he met his great mate 25 years ago when he owned a jewellery store in Double Bay.
“I went in and bought jewellery for my wife and it was love at first sight,” he said.
“We had the same interests and got on straight away.
“He had such a big personality, he was such a nice guy and was always helping everyone else. He put himself in last position, after everyone else got their needs.
“He would park an old lady’s car in the middle of his dinner at Double Bay because it’s difficult, that’s the type of person he was.”
Mr Michaelson, originally from South Africa, lived in Dover Heights with his wife Leeanne and daughter Siena.
Mr Shifroni described Mr Michaelson as a “model father”.
“His one and only priority in life was his wife and daughter. He would do anything for Siena.
“Anything that she wanted, 24/7, he would do it for her. Every time he saw her he would light up.
“She’s in Year 12 doing HSC, so it’s a very difficult situation. All his life was for them.”
Mr Shifroni said his great mate was known as a “giant legend” and would be remembered as such.
“He touched everyone’s lives, he was just a perfect person. I never saw him upset or argue with anyone.
“After talking to strangers for five minutes they would fall in love with him because of his spirit. He made time for everybody.”
A GoFundMe page has been launched to help the family during this time.
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Originally published as Father remembered after death from freak accident at Bondi Beach
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