Travis Davis: Family, partner pay tribute to Capalaba chef

Thousands of dollars have been raised in a matter of hours for the funeral of a 20-year-old Capalaba man after he drowned at a popular beach in Caloundra.

The generosity of the community has blown away the family of “adventurous” Travis Davis after the 20-year-old Capalaba man’s funeral costs were raised within 24 hours.

Kerrod Davis created the GoFundMe on Wednesday after his brother Travis lost his life in the surf at Caloundra on the weekend.

An outpouring of support has flowed since the 20-year-old chef’s tragic death and has led to Kerrod’s fundraising target of $7000 being eclipsed within a day.

He said he was shocked and happy about the response from the community.

“Just to see some close friends, family and parts of the community come together so soon like that, “ he said.

“Things are looking really promising which is heartwarming.”

Kerrod said he will be forever grateful for those who donated in such a short amount of time, with the remainder to assist his father Shane Davis and their family during this tough time.

Travis’ family, friends, and partner waited anxiously at the Moffat Beach lookout on Sunday morning as rescue crews scoured the coastline looking for the young chef.

Police discovered his body about 12pm Sunday just south of where he had been swimming with a 20-year-old Ferny Grove man on Saturday.

Mr Davis’ brother Kerrod Davis told the Sunshine Coast Daily he was glad his brother was able to be found after being missing for nearly 24 hours.

He said it’s been “tough” since his discovery, with his family “tired and exhausted” from the ordeal which drew them from Capalaba to Caloundra Saturday evening.

Mr Davis was known by his family as an avid dirt bike rider, often travelling to the Glasshouse Mountains in his down time from working as a chef in Capalaba.

For Mr Davis’ partner Jassamyn Cairns-Turner, she’ll remember how “adventurous” her boyfriend was, and how he nearly fell off several mountains during their relationship.

“He loved being outdoors and he wanted to travel … he loved riding his motorbikes and he loved his RC cars,” she said.

“The only things he loved more than me were his car and his bikes … I remember talking about it and one of my goals was for Travis to love me more, and I knew that was going to happen.”

Travis Davis dirt bike riding. Picture: Facebook

Senior Sergeant Steven Hall said the discovery of the body was a sad circumstance for the family.

“For everyone involved it’s a sad tragic circumstance when somebody loses a life for no other reason than going for a swim,” he said.

“Fortunately in this case we were able to locate the swimmer and retrieve his body which has been returned.

“The family will get some closure from that I hope.”

Police said Mr Davis was swimming with a 20-year-old Ferny Hills man when they were showing signs of distress in the surf.

Three members of the public tried to rescue the two men and pulled one swimmer to safety.

But Mr Davis remained missing.

An extensive air and sea search by police and including Surf Life Saving Queensland and the Coast Guard combed the coastline on Saturday and Sunday before Mr Davis was found.

If you’d like to donate to the GoFundMe, please head here.