Final moments of Adelaide father Jacob Vennix’s life before he drowned in Bali
Adelaide father Jacob Vennix’s final moments alive have been retraced after his new bride Kimberley tried to rescue him at a beach in Bali.
SA News
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2025 was meant to be Jacob Vennix’s year.
The 32-year-old had quit his job, was embarking on a new career and had just married the love of his life.
But on Monday on his honeymoon in Bali, Mr Vennix drowned after being dragged out to sea by a current while swimming at the estuary at Pasut Beach in Tabanan Regency, northwest of Kuta.
It happened in an instant. His bride Kimberley Fuller was suddenly alone on the shore as her husband disappeared into the rough waters at about 3.50pm local time.
Ms Fuller, the mother of Mr Vennix’s first child, made panicked attempts to save him, grabbing a beach lounge and running into the waves.
She then begged onlookers to help him before a traditional Balinese fishing vessel attempted to rescue the drowning Australian man.
But the rescue mission was hampered by choppy conditions and the fishing vessel, called I Made Suartika, capsized.
Waves later washed Mr Vennix, 32, back to the beach where locals pulled the Australian man’s body from the water and brought him to the sand.
In heartbreaking scenes, Ms Fuller, 38, desperately attempted to resuscitate Mr Vennix with CPR but her husband did not regain consciousness.
Mr Vennix was later taken to Tabanan Public Hospital where he was declared deceased.
Harrowing photographs show Ms Fuller hugging the body of her husband on a hospital trolley.
His heartbroken widow Kimberley Fuller is remembering him as “the most beautiful human” who is now her young family’s “angel”.
Ms Fuller has written a touching tribute to her husband of less than two weeks.
“I took this photo during the last night I had with him,” she began her post on Facebook.
The words were accompnaied by a simple but deeply moving image of her and Mr Vennix’s hands, their fingers intertwined.
Ms Fuller continued her tribute: “He was the most beautiful human, partner and father. All he wanted was to marry me and love and look after me and the boys. I will make sure the boys know what an angel he was.”
She finished the post by directly addressing her late husband: “Now an angel in heaven. I love you my darling I’m so sorry.”Tabanan Police spokesman I Gusti Made Berata confirmed Mr Vennix and Ms Fuller were in Bali on their honeymoon and said different currents met at the Pasut Beach estuary.
“They are swimming on the estuary area, right in front of the entry access into Pasut Beach,” he said.
“The estuary area is the meeting point of current from different direction.”
Just weeks earlier Mr Vennix and Ms Fuller were photographed kissing on their wedding day, the newly weds surrounded by smiling friends.
In another photo posted in November, Mr Vennix beams as he holds up his youngest child Cole while Mrs Fuller smiles at the camera after the couple finished a fundraising run.
Other photos captured the happy and healthy family of four, with Ms Fuller’s other son Isaac.
The couple met three years earlier at a Coles checkout in Adelaide after Mr Vennix spied Isaac playing with a Guide Dogs donation box.
Mr Vennix resigned his job as state manager of cleaning company Build Clean just weeks before his honeymoon in order to pursue his dream as a disability care worker.
Build Clean founder Sam Ackland said Mr Vennix was widely popular and had started as a cleaner at the company before working his way up the ladder, saying the father-of-two was “destined for great things”.
“To think that 2025 was going to be his year and he was going to do what he was destined to do,” he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted his condolences to the family.
“This is such deeply sad news,” Mr Albanese wrote on social media.
“Our thoughts are with Jacob’s wife, family and friends.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong also said: “I am heartbroken for Mr Vennix’s wife and loved ones, and offer my deepest sympathies.”
“I know all Australians will be thinking of them.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our consular officials in Bali will continue to provide consular assistance.”
In October, Australian expat Craig Laidley also died in Bali’s waters after rushing in to help a drowning tourist.
The Perth-born 56-year-old successfully rescued the drowning person but was then swept away himself.
Originally published as Final moments of Adelaide father Jacob Vennix’s life before he drowned in Bali
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