SA father Anthony Heathcote remembered as loving father and ‘brilliant academic

Friends and family have recounted the moments leading up to the Mount Gambier-born academic’s tragic death in Phuket - and how SA has lost a “brilliant mind”.

A Mount Gambier born man was discovered dead in the waters off a beach in southern Thailand on Saturday morning. Picture: Asia Pacific Press

The tragic drowning of Anthony Heathcote in Thailand has left an “incalculable hole”.

Mr Heathcote – affectionately called Ant by his siblings – was found on May 10.

The 41-year-old was reported missing by his friends three days prior while they were holidaying together in Phuket, Thailand.

Eventually, the search came to an end when his body was found floating about 20m from the shore at Freedom Beach, after it was spotted by the chief lifeguard during a routine morning patrol.

Emergency crews secured the body with ropes and brought it to shore amid strong surf.

Anthony John Heathcote, 41, from Mount Gambier has drowned off the coast of Phuket. Picture: 7NEWS Adelaide

Anthony John Heathcote, 41, from Mount Gambier has drowned off the coast of Phuket. Picture: Supplied.

His older brother, Ben Heathcote, 44, has paid tribute following the devastating outcome.

Mr Heathcote said “Anthony was a father who loved his two children deeply” and generally his “love for our family was very clear”.

However, the thing Mr Heathcote will remember most about his brother, is his outstanding mind.

“He really did have a brilliant mind in both the creative and academic sense which culminated in his proudest achievement – a PhD in anthropology at Adelaide University,” Mr Heathcote told The Advertiser.

“He really was a great person for amazing, deep, long conversations with a really good dash of humour thrown in.”

Mr Heathcote also said “Anthony’s love for anthropology” took him all over the world.

“Anthony had a real strong sense of social justice and a real love for learning about different cultures and different people so he spent time in a range of different places all over the world,” Mr Heathcote added.

Anthony John Heathcote, 41, from Mount Gambier, had been reported missing by his friends three days earlier in Phuket. Picture: Asia Pacific Press

“I know that he had a lot of love for Asian culture and things like that as well, so as part of his study was focused on aspects of Vietnamese culture … it’s been a passion for him for a long time.

“He also did a lot of work in the First Nations space.”

“Although he was born in Mount Gambier, he completed his secondary and university education in Adelaide … and he lived in the Northern Territory and then most recently Western Australia as part of his First Nations work in anthropology.”

Mr Heathcote said Anthony’s family, including his parents, his two siblings Ben and younger sister Cassie, as well as his two children and nephew, will miss him forever.

“It leaves an incalculable hole, it’s had a devastating impact on all of us,” he said.

“We feel his loss incredibly deeply and we want to be here for each other and we will be here for his kids in this time of need.”

The family said they believe this is a “terrible accident” although they are awaiting the results of a formal autopsy, which will be performed at Vachira Phuket Hospital.

They are working with the Consular to bring Mr Heathcote’s body home for a funeral and a celebration of life at a later stage.

Originally published as SA father Anthony Heathcote remembered as loving father and ‘brilliant academic