Family member sought court order against Olympic swim legend and Gold Coaster Grant Hackett
SWIM legend Grant Hackett has made contact with both police and his family and is reportedly safe and sober. He was at the Surfers Paradise Marriott.
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SWIM legend Grant Hackett has made contact with both police and his family and is reportedly safe and sober.
The 36-year-old had been missing since early this morning, sparking a call for public assitance from his family.
He was found at the Surfers Paradise Marriott.
Hackett, whose years-long battle with mental demons finally split his close-knit Gold Coast family, was reported missing this morning.
He was understood to have last been seen at the Versace hotel.
Earlier, Neville Hackett this afternoon made a public plea for Hackett to come home.
“Oh yes, he’s definitely a missing person,” he said.
“Grant, let us know where you are. We love you… and we want to help you.†– Grant Hackett’s father. #9News pic.twitter.com/jnC8H48DDF
— Nine News Gold Coast (@9NewsGoldCoast) February 16, 2017
“And he’s mentally disturbed and needs urgent help.
“We haven’t heard from him since 7.30am ...when we spoke to him this morning he was very depressed.
“Grant has had more support today than when he won the gold medal.
“Grant, let us know where you are. We love you, and we want to help you.”
This morning he said he had no idea where to find his son Grant after police arrested the Olympian at the family’s Mermaid home yesterday.
Swimming Australia CEO Mark Anderson immediately released a statement following news Hackett was missing saying they’ve maintained ‘regular contact’ since his return to the pool in 2015.
“Since the 2016 Australian Championships, we have continued this contact. Both John Bertrand and I connected with him on separate occasions late last year following the Rio Olympics,” he said.
“Given these recent circumstances, we once again reached out to Grant and his family to continue to offer support and assistance in any way we can.
“Our primary concern is his health and well-being and personal welfare. Grant is a legend of Australian sport and an important part of the Australian swimming family.”
It comes as Hackett took to social media this morning to make an unsubstantiated allegation he was hit by a family member.
The former police officer would not comment about the Instagram post.
“We don’t know where he is,” Neville said.
“He’s not (at Pindara).”
This morning, the Bulletin revealed a family member last month sought a court order against the Olympic gold medallist following an incident. Friends say the altercation resulted in Hackett seeking treatment for a facial injury.
It comes as Hackett took to social media this morning to make an unsubstantiated allegation he was hit by a family member.
The post came with an image of Hackett’s swollen and bloody right eye.
The court order, which expires in January 2019, requires Hackett to be of “good behaviour”.
HACKETT FAMILY: ‘GRANT ISN’T SAME PERSON
His desperate parents yesterday were forced to call police to their Mermaid Waters home after he allegedly “flew into an uncontrollable rage”.
Eight officers attended the property and arrested Hackett. He was later released without charge, telling reporters he would seek rehabilitation.
“I probably need to,” he said.
TIMELINE: HACKETT’S HIGHS AND LOWS
The incident follows weeks of concerns from family and friends about Hackett’s deteriorating mental state, with a relationship breakup among several personal issues.
“He’s a danger to himself, he’s a danger to the community,” brother Craig said.
“This is not Grant Hackett. This is a completely different person. I don’t know who this person is. My mum and dad don’t know this person.
“He’s there in person but he’s not there in mind, soul or spirit … we know people struggle to get mental health treatment these days (and) we’re no different to anyone else. We’re struggling to get that help.
“We’re pleading for people to help us — help Grant. Grant needs help.”
Father Nev Hackett, who was home with his wife when their son “broke down”, told the Bulletin the 36-year-old had been drinking heavily.
“He was raving and ranting a bit,” he said. “He’s big and powerful when he’s not happy … we decided he needed some treatment but there was no way he was going to go so we called the police.
“No one was touched. No property was damaged … he didn’t even make any threats but was not what you say is a normal person.”
Hackett, who represented Australia at three Olympics, has struggled in his personal life since retiring in 2008 and attempting a comeback before last year’s Rio Games.
In April last year, he apologised after being accused of “forcefully” groping a passenger and “tweaking” his nipple on an interstate flight after a dispute over a seat being reclined too far.
In 2011 he trashed the Melbourne apartment he shared with then wife Candice Alley and in 2014 was seen wandering semi-naked through Melbourne’s Crown Casino while searching for his son in the early hours of the morning.
That year he checked into a US rehab facility to treat his addiction to the powerful sleeping pill Stilnox.
“He does have days when he’s fantastic but unfortunately it’s becoming that those days are few and far between,” brother Craig said.
“To see someone who was, I guess, so dominant and had the world at his feet to now — really, we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It’s not encouraging but who knows? If he gets the right kind of treatment … maybe he might be able to claw himself out of it.”
Former Olympic swimmer and friend Andrew Baildon said the Gold Coast swimming community was “right behind” Hackett.
“Grant obviously has some demons to deal with and we hope he can get himself right,” he said.
“I feel for him because I know what it’s like to retire as an elite sportsman and try to make that transition into everyday life. It’s an extremely difficult thing to do.’’
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