A day after stumbling across the horrific scene of paramedics attempting to save her boyfriend's life, Ellidy Vlug has paid tribute to her "beautiful man".
The longtime girlfriend of three-time Australian Winter Olympian and dual world champion Alex "Chumpy" Pullin, who died in a spearfishing accident on Wednesday, has posted a note on the front door of the Gold Coast home they bought together two years ago.
"Dear media," she wrote. "Thank you for your thoughts this is a very difficult time for me and I ask that you respect my privacy during this period of grief.
"Know that Chumpy absolutely loved life and lived life to the full.
"He lived for us – his family, our puppy Rummi, our amazing friends and the home we made together.
The letter pinned to their front door. Photo / news.com.au
Speaking to Daily Mail AU, Vlug called Pullin "a jack of all trades".
'When he told me he'd decided to go for a dive, I was just like, "Epic, love you, watch out for sharks'," Vlug explained.
"I always say that."
Vlug was reportedly walking with her mother yesterday when she saw a commotion at Palm Beach where Pullin, 32, had been free diving.
The swimwear model was devastated to find it was her longtime beau, who she began dating in 2012 after he asked her to dance at a party.
"We just started talking and I called her out for a dance,' Pullin explained during a 2016 interview. "(It was) heaps old school … Dragged her out on the dance floor."
They were living together in Elanora with their dog, Rummi.
Vlug's last post on Instagram, dated June 18, was a video of Pullin in bed with Rummi, the couple's dog. Hundreds of comments have since been left from people shocked at Pullin's sudden death.
"At the time paramedics were on scene, we were unable to locate anyone who knew the patient, so we just had to treat (him) with the conditions we found," Queensland Ambulance Service officer in charge Justin Payne said.
"The patient did have water in the lungs which paramedics were suctioning while trying to perform CPR and provide oxygen support.
"There were no other signs of trauma on the patient so we suspect that the patient has succumbed to a drowning event at this time."
The resuscitation attempt from paramedics and two off-duty nurses lasted 45 to 50 minutes but unfortunately Pullin did not survive.
