Bali bombing hero Erik de Haart dies aged 67

A heroic Sydney man caught in the 2002 Bali bombings who saved people from the wreckage of a destroyed Kuta nightclub has died.

A Sydney man credited with saving lives in the immediate aftermath of the 2002 Bali bombings has died.

Erik de Haart was with the Coogee Dolphins rugby league team in Kuta when terrorists detonated bombs in two busy bars; 202 people died, including 88 Australians.

Mr De Haart is credited with pulling people out of the wreckage.

He died aged 67 died of a suspected underlying health issue on Sunday.

Mr de Haart was a devotee and life member of the Coogee Dolphins.

“It is with profound sadness that we advise of the sudden passing of Coogee Dolphins life member Erik de Haart,” club president Wayne Hack said in a statement.

“Erik was a loyal servant, life member and sponsor of our club.

Erik de Haart returned to Kuta and the Bali bombings memorial monument in the years after the attack. Picture: Anta Kesuma

“He will forever be remembered in the immediate aftermath of the Bali tragedy of 2002 as a hero. Erik continued his ongoing support of the Coogee Dolphins for many years and in 2005 was honoured with a life membership.

“The Coogee Dolphins would like to extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathies to Erik’s immediate and extended family and his many friends.”

Mr de Haart lost six friends in the terrorist attack on October 12, 2002. Two nightclubs were targeted; more Australians were killed than any other nationality. Numerous Australian sporting teams were on post-season trips at the time.

Mr de Haart had been helping a teammate back to the hotel when the Sari Club and Paddy’s Bar were attacked. The incident was the largest loss of Australian life in a terrorist attack.

“On the right Paddy’s bar was well alight and a girl came past and her arm was just hanging by a scrap of skin. I looked to the left and it was utter, utter chaos,” Mr de Haart told the ABC on the 10 – year anniversary.

Erik de Haart wore a permanent reminder of the attacks; a tattoo with the names of Clinton Thompson, David Mavroudis, Adam Howard, Joshua Iliffe, Gerard Yeo and Shane Foley. Those six Coogee Dolphins teammates were killed in Bali in 2002. Picture: Supplied

“I raced up to the front of the Sari Club and it was just a nightmare – people screaming, people on fire. I’m trying to find the boys – I couldn’t see any of the boys. I just started going into the Sari Club and there were bodies lying everywhere.”

Mr de Haart recalled pulling people from the wreck as locals ferried victims to hospital.

“I grabbed this guy on a bike and said, ‘Take him to hospital’. And this little guy looked up at me and said, ‘How am I going to hold him up and ride my bike?’ But he did. The Indonesian guys kept coming along in their cars and taking people from us.

“I’ve got all scars and burns on the bottom of my legs from kicking up ashes. At the time you were oblivious to it; all the time you were trying to get people out,” he told the ABC.

“Coming back for me was quite possibly the toughest time. That was when the guilt hit me. I thought, ‘I’ve let so many people down. I went away with them and didn’t bring them home’. It took me a long time to forgive myself.”

Friends and family posted tributes on Monday.

“You brought so much joy to this world,” a nephew said online.

“Thank you for always being a great role model to my children.”

A friend praised Mr de Haart’s love and warmth.

“Erik de big Haart! So shocked and finding it hard to put words together,” one woman said.

Erik de Haart on the 15th anniversary of the attack, pays tribute at the Bali Memorial in Coogee. Picture: John Appleyard

“Erik was a great friend of 35 years and who shared my love of travel, his home and put up with my cooking for months and months. I have many cherished memories.

“Always asking each other when and where is the next trip! You have travelled to so many places and now to your much loved mum and dad,” she said.

“A generous, big hearted, sports mad - especially his Rabbitohs! - and most of all devoted to his huge family.”

Mr de Haart’s social media is full of smiling family pictures, shots of his world travels and numerous charity endeavours.

Mr de Haart died the day after the anniversary of his own father’s passing. Last month, Mr de Haart posted a tribute to his dad.

Australian Federal Police travelled to Bali in 2002 to help investigate. Picture: Supplied

“My dad’s gravestone. Miss him so much, especially as a mentor to bounce ideas off. He told me once after I had made a stuff-up, never be afraid to make a mistake as it is much better to experience failure as long as you learn from it than to spend your life using ‘if only’ I tried something differently,” he posted online.

“Too many people spend their life saying ‘if only’ to themselves. Thanks dad, still the smartest man and hardest working man I ever knew. Love you and miss you.”

A friend said anyone who met Mr de Haart could count themselves lucky.

“You were a lot of things to a lot of people, and you will be very much missed. After 40 years of having you in my life, it is hard to imagine not hearing another one of your many stories and that huge laugh of yours,” the friend posted online.

“The world is definitely going to be a little darker without the love, friendship, kindness, support and advice that you so freely shared with those of us who were lucky enough to call you a friend,” they said.

“You can finally sleep peacefully hun.”