Dean Mercer, one of Australia’s leading surf lifesavers, died after a car accident on Monday morning. According to reports, he suffered a heart attack while driving and crashed into a fence. Paramedics responded and Mercer was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital but was declared dead a few hours later.
“Dean had been returning home from his regular earlier morning training session with a masters group at Kurrawa surf club – where he is the director of surf sports,” the family explained in a statement. “He was to call in and buy groceries for the family when he suffered a cardiac arrest at the wheel of his car and crashed into a fence on Markeri Street, Mermaid Waters.”
Police at the scene of the wreck of the car driven by Dean Mercer. Photo: ABC
Mercer had a 40-year career as a surf lifesaver. He epitomized what the job was, and was one of the greatest surf lifesaving competitors in Australian history. From the 1980s until well into the 2000s, Mercer was the man to beat. He had an OAM for his contributions to life saving and was inducted into the Sport NSW Hall of Fame. In 1989, he won the Australian Ironman, then won it a second time in 1995.
“Dean was an amazing husband and loving father who loved nothing more than sharing his and Reen’s love of life and love of the surf,” a statement from the Mercer family reads. “No surf was too big and no opponent too tall as he tackled the biggest and best in the business from his early days in Austinmer and Thirroul before making his move to Maroochydore and Mooloolaba and then to Northcliffe and finally to Kurrawa. He will go down in history as one of Australia’s greatest ironmen who represented both NSW and Queensland and wore the green and gold of Australia.”
Mercer is survived by his wife, Reen, and their four sons: Brayden,13, Rory,11, Lachlan, 9, and Joshua, 6.
A fund has been set up for Mercer’s sons. You can contribute HERE.
