Vacation Turns into a Nightmare: Young Man Returns to Family as Heartless Body After Bali Trip

 

Young man returns to his family as a heartless corpse after a trip to Bali

 Vacation Turns into a Nightmare: Young Man Returns to Family as Heartless Body After Bali Trip

An Australian man returned home as a dead body after a holiday in Bali, only to discover that his heart had been removed without their knowledge or consent, shocking and angering his parents.

 Robert and Chantal Haddow, the parents of the 23-year-old, reported that their son, Byron Haddow, died on May 26 while staying in Bali, and that his body was not returned to them for nearly four weeks.

During a second autopsy in Queensland, doctors discovered the missing heart. The family confirmed that the heart had been removed and stored in Indonesia without their permission or knowledge, according to People magazine. Byron's parents said they faced repeated delays, half-information, and silence from authorities before being informed two days before the funeral that their son's heart was missing, a situation they described as inhumane and deeply traumatic.

His mother, Chantal, added that she was deeply shocked when she learned the news. The family thought they would at least be able to say goodbye to their son and bury him in peace. However, the removal of his heart was an additional shock. His parents had to wait several months and pay $700 to have the heart returned to them after the burial. Byron was found unconscious in a private villa pool, and police did not report his death until four days later. When they arrived, the area was contaminated.

The body was taken to a local private hospital for a death certificate, before being transferred to a funeral home in Bali to prepare for repatriation to Australia. The pathologist in Bali explained that the removal of organs can occur as part of a forensic autopsy, and that family consent is not required under Indonesian criminal procedure law, especially when requesting multiple autopsies.

Reports indicated that the likely cause of death was a combination of alcohol poisoning and antidepressant use, which prevented him from getting out of the pool. He also had unexplained wounds and bruises. The case remains under open investigation by the Queensland Magistrates' Court, while family friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign to remember Byron, who was described as a son, brother, and friend to many, but who passed away too soon.