Friday, January 4, 2013

Lost in paradise, Denni's coming home

Denni NorthIT was meant to be a quiet night at home.
Denni North told work colleagues at Cocoon Beach Club she was feeling unwell during her late night shift on Sunday December 30.

She was tired. She was surviving on coffee. She wanted a quiet night.
About 3am, Ms North left the popular restaurant and nightclub where she worked as a public relations consultant and front of house.
Five hours later, she was found lying by the pool of her Canggu villa, struggling to breathe. She died on the way to the hospital.
In the days since, Bali police have been trying to piece together her final hours as intrigue around how the vivacious 33-year-old died grew with every day.
They have interviewed six witnesses but have been unable to find a woman they believe could hold vital clues about the incident.
Her heartbroken family has travelled to Bali to retrieve the body, which is expected to arrive back in Australia on a flight today.
Local authorities agreed to release the body after the family requested no autopsy be performed in Bali.
Police had already pieced together much of the night in question and satisfied themselves no drugs or physical violence had been involved.
Ms North had worked between 7pm and 3am at Cocoon Beach Club in Legian.
Her job was to liaise with clients, manage staff and make sure the customers were happy.
She would seat guests for dinner, ensure they were well fed, never thirsty, and in a taxi at the end of the night.
No one could deny Ms North was the perfect woman for the job.
The bubbly 33-year-old was born in Deception Point, north of Brisbane.
She was one of six siblings and told friends in Bali about her inspiring mother, Wendy, whom she described as a "warrior".
Ms North was an avid traveller with a thirst for life."She was gorgeous, vivacious, full of life, very friendly and incredibly popular," said Ms North's colleague at Cocoon Beach Club, Morgana Reid.
"She has worked for Cocoon for about two-months. She was very good at her job and popular with customers and staff."
When her shift ended, Ms North left Cocoon with close friend Agathe Ammeux, originally from France.
Speaking to the media this week, head of North Kuta police Alda Aifa Rofiq described Ms Ammeux as "pacar" an Indonesian word to describe boyfriend or girlfriend.
The pair made the familiar trip through the winding streets of North Kuta to Pondok Batour Belig, a private villa in Canggu.
The traditional thatched-roof villa is situated down a long driveway off the busy Jl. Batu Belig. Ms North had lived there for about two months.
According to police, Ms North and Ms Ammeux arrived home about 3.30am. They were joined by two friends, Felicity Bloom, who travelled to Bali from Melbourne, and a woman named Kelly.
Ms Bloom and Kelly had been at the popular Potatohead Cafe in Seminyak.
"They started to have some drinks and at 4am Agathe went to bed," said Mr Rofiq.
"She was followed by Kelly and Felicity and only the victim still by herself.
"Then at 8am Kelly found the victim dying next to the swimming pool."
The security guard who works at the villa told police he heard the friend screaming and rushed to the pool to find Ms North lying on her back with her legs in the water.
Police believe Ms North was still breathing when she was found, but died on the way to Bali International Medical Centre.
Authorities have been unable to find Kelly, but having spoken to witnesses and surveyed the scene are confident they were no suspicious circumstances.
In the days since, there has been endless rumour and mystery about what happened during those early hours of Sunday morning.
It is still unclear what caused Ms North's death, although heart attack and accidental drowning have both been put forward.
Denni North
Denni North with friends Kirill Boykov and Agathe Ammeux
The family has asked that her body be returned to Australia for an autopsy.
"Everyone wants to know what happened to her," said a close friend who did not want to be named.
"Only Denni knows that."
Friends and family in Bali have refused to speak to the media about the incident.
When approached by News Limited, Ms Ammeux said she had no comment.
However, the 24-year-old revealed her anguish on Facebook in the days after Ms North's death.
"Best smile ever. Full of happiness, always looking after people. Don't know what to do without her. Feel miserable," she wrote.
"For NYE please, my friends say love to everyone you love. Life is short I just realised it. Miss you crazy Denni North."
Denni North
The pool of where a dying Denni North was found.
Ms North's sister, Tammy, brother Jamie and cousin Nicole rushed to Bali to retrieve the body.
Assisting them was the general manager of Cocoon Beach Club, Anthony Bevilacqua.
"The family are devastated like we all are here," Mr Bevilacqua said this week.
Mr Bevilacqua is confident Ms North's death was an accident and said the family had no speculation of foul play.
"According to the police and the hospital, there was no bruising to the body, there was no indication of violence. They're treating it as an accidental drowning," he said.
Back home, family members have expressed doubt about theories of accidental drowning or heart attack.
Ms North's grieving father, Dennis, appeared on Today Tonight earlier this week and said he suspected foul play.
"I feel that someone has done harm to her," he said in the television interview.
Denni North
Denni North, second from left, with Agathe Ammeux, far right, and other friends.
"She is a very strong girl, (a) very athletic girl and she's so wise for her years. Why was she slumped in a pool? Where were her friends? It's not adding up."
High ranking police officials said once the body is returned to Australia, the local authorities will drop the investigation into Ms North's death.
"If the family is satisfied and the body is returned home we do not continue investigation," a police source said.
A local funeral firm, Antar Bangsa Foundation, is working with the family to have Ms North returned home.
On her Facebook page, Ms North listed her favourite quote as: "Everything happens for a reason."
But in this case, her friends and family are still asking, why?


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