Nearly a year after his death in Bali, Byron Haddow's family is still fighting for answers about the circumstances surrounding his mysterious death, channelling their grief into a push for change when Australians die overseas.
The 23-year-old Sunshine Coast man, known as "Bizza", was found unconscious in a pool in a private villa while holidaying on the Indonesian island in May 2025.
Described as kind, happy and adventurous, Byron "loved to make people laugh" and formed deep connections with those around him.
"He was always laughing at himself and smiling," his mother Chantal Haddow told 7NEWS.
A keen fisherman from a young age, Byron was deeply loved, with his loss felt far beyond his immediate circle.
"The mine where he was working at the time shut down production for an hour or so when the news was out there ... which is massive, no mine site does that," his father Robbie Haddow said.
But nearly a year on, the family says they are still grappling with how his final hours unfolded.
Chantal and Robbie Haddow are calling for answers and change following their son's death in Bali.
He was having the time of his life with three Australians he had just met that morning, when tragedy struck.
What followed, they say, has only deepened their anguish.
"There was no official police report done as such until one of the witnesses got home," Robbie Haddow said.
He has since spent countless hours reviewing CCTV footage from before and after Byron's death, searching for clarity.
Instead, he says, it has left him with more questions than answers.
"I want an explanation basically on the events that happened at the time," he said.
The cause of Haddow's death is still unknown.
Frustrated by what they describe as a lack of transparency and support, the Haddows have launched a petition named "Justice for Bizza", calling for greater accountability when Australians die overseas.
The family is calling on the Australian Government to ensure transparent investigations into deaths overseas, improve reporting and accountability, strengthen support for families, and introduce independent reviews where circumstances are unclear.
"This is not just about Byron," the petition states.
"It is about protecting all Australians and ensuring no other family is left in the dark."
"This is why we've started 'Justice for Bizza' — just to get things moving," Robbie Haddow told 7NEWS.
"We don't want to see another family go through this."
Supporters have rallied behind the Haddow family's petition, calling for answers and change.
"His family needs answers. This could happen to any of us overseas, and there should be proper protocols in place," one supporter said.
"As someone who has lost a young loved one, not knowing what happened must be agony. The government must ensure transparency," another wrote.
"A life matters. This could be anyone. We need transparency and proper investigation," another supporter said.
The case remains under investigation, with Indonesian police inquiries ongoing alongside a Queensland coronial process.
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it could not intervene in overseas investigations.
"Investigations into matters which occur overseas are a matter for local law enforcement agencies.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade does not have the authority to review police investigations in other countries, just as foreign embassy officials cannot do so in Australia."
Indonesian authorities have listed Byron's cause of death as drowning, however a Balinese coroner has said it could not be confirmed whether the death was an accident, suicide or homicide.
The case has also been marked by distressing revelations.
After Byron's body was repatriated to Australia, a second autopsy discovered his heart had been removed without the family's knowledge.
"We thought at least we could say goodbye to him and lay him to rest," Chantal Haddow said at that time.
"But then to learn they'd taken his heart and that no one else knew, not even the consulate in Bali, was a big shock."
The family later had to pay to have the organ returned, receiving it months after Byron had already been buried.
His mother has also publicly questioned the official account of events.
"None of what they say about him drowning in a plunge pool adds up," she said.
"Byron mattered. His life mattered. And the truth matters."
