FUND-RAISING platform GoFundMe has raised nearly 23,000 Australian dollars (AU$), roughly P956,263, for the repatriation of the remains of a Filipino student who drowned on the Gold Coast beach in Australia.
According to Australian media network 7 News, Filipino student Karlo Bul-Anon, 20, from Consolacion, Cebu, was reported missing after “vanishing in the water.” His remains were found on Wednesday, March 4, in the afternoon.
“Karlo was a student in Australia and was reported missing on 7 News, then found dead the following day. This heartbreaking loss has left the family grieving and facing unexpected financial burdens,” wrote a family friend Alfreda Camasura, in a GoFundMe post.
“At an age when most young men are still trying to find their way, he already knew his purpose. He carried his family’s hopes in his heart when he boarded a plane to Australia. He left the comfort of home, his parents’ embrace, and his brother’s laughter,” she added.
“What was meant to be a simple swim turned into a tragedy. He drowned, and just like that, the young man full of dreams and love was taken too soon. No goodbye. No last embrace. Only silence. Now his family waits — not for his next call or message — but for his body to come home. The pain is unbearable. A mother’s tears fall endlessly. A father’s heart breaks in quiet suffering. A brother mourns not just a sibling, but his best friend and hero. He is loved by relatives, friends, and everyone who knew him grieve deeply, remembering his kindness, humility, and determination,” Camasura said.
As of Friday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised a total of AU$22,997, with a set goal of AU$40,000.
“The financial cost of repatriating his remains from Australia is overwhelming, and in this time of unimaginable grief, they cannot carry this burden alone,” the GoFundMe page read.
“To anyone willing to extend financial assistance, any amount — big or small — will be deeply appreciated. Your generosity will help bring their beloved son home so he can finally rest in the arms of the land and the people who love him most,” it added.