A trip to Bali ended in heartbreak for the family of 23-year-old Queenslander Byron Haddow. On May 26, the FIFO worker from Noosa was found unconscious in the pool of his private villa in North Kuta.
Initial paperwork issued in Bali listed drowning as the cause of death.
However, Byron’s family immediately questioned this, noting that he was a capable swimmer and the pool was only 150cm deep (shorter than his 178cm frame).
Cuts, bruises, and blood-stained towels only added to their suspicions.
Delays And A Missing Heart
Byron’s parents, Robert and Chantal Haddow, later revealed that his body was not reported to Bali police until May 30, four days after his death.
By the time officers arrived, the scene had already been contaminated, and the body had been transported to BIMC private hospital and then the Bali Funeral Home for repatriation preparations.
Following the repatriation, just days before the funeral, the Haddows were informed that Byron’s heart had been removed in Bali and left behind without their knowledge or consent.
They described the ordeal as “inhumane” and said they endured weeks of delays and silence before learning the truth.
The family had to pay an additional $700 (approx. S$901.80) to have his heart sent back in August, months after their son’s burial.
Forensic specialist Dr Nola Margaret Gunawan, who carried out an autopsy at the request of Bali police, told News.com.au that organ removal is permitted under Indonesian law in forensic cases.
She explained that while a clinical autopsy requires family consent, a forensic autopsy does not.
It is also reported that the hospital sent the heart to Australia after the pathology paperwork was completed.
Police Report Points To Mystery Guests
Byron’s villa mate, Bailey Woods, and two women were at the villa the night before Byron’s death.
According to police reports, they had been drinking together near the pool.
The two women left the villa in the morning, and Woods went out around 10 am to seek medical help, according to the Daily Mail.
Authorities later sought help from Australian officials to contact the two women, who, according to Woods, were from Melbourne and are friends of both Byron and Woods.
Investigators found Byron had a high concentration of alcohol in his system along with the antidepressant Duloxetine.
Dr Gunawan concluded that this combination may have left him unable to escape the pool, although she also noted bruises on his head, knee, and eyelid.
Hospital Denies Organ Theft Allegations
Amid growing outrage, Prof Ngoerah Hospital in Denpasar publicly rejected claims of organ theft.
Speaking to reporters, hospital director I Made Darmajaya insisted there was “no interest” in withholding Byron’s heart, saying the delay in repatriation was due to requirements for pathological examination, The Guardian reported.
He emphasized that the autopsy was performed legally at the request of the police and denied any wrongdoing.
Ongoing Investigations
Byron’s death remains under coronial investigation in Queensland.
For now, his parents continue to push for clarity. They believe their son was “set up, drugged, and robbed,” and say they will not stop until they uncover the full truth about what happened that night in Bali.
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Missing Mother-of-Two Found Dead in Home, Partially Eaten by Pet Dogs
Dead Man’s Eye Found Missing at Hospital in India; Doctor Suggests Rats Ate It
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