A heartbroken woman has had to make the heartbreaking decision to fly home and leave her husband’s body behind in Bali after he died suddenly from an aneurysm.
Nick Noble, 54, was knocked unconscious and died while riding a scooter on a dream surfing holiday to the Indonesian island with his Brazilian-born wife Simone Chedid, 52, on June 24.
The Sydney couple, who have been together for seven years, travelled to Bali on June 13, along with a number of Mr Noble’s friends and Ms Chedid’s son Marcos and her daughter-in-law Wendy.
But Mr Noble, who appeared to be in good health, suffered a medical incident while riding a scooter back to their hotel after surfing and was found dead on the road.
“He had an autopsy done and the doctors told me he had an aneurysm and that’s what killed him,” a grieving Ms Chedid told Daily Mail Australia.
The group had planned to spend a month in Bali, but a distraught Mrs Chedid is now back in Sydney.
Because the couple’s travel insurance company can’t give a definitive answer and she can’t afford to pay the costs of repatriating her husband’s body home, she’s trying to raise the $13,000 she thinks she’ll need.
“His body looked completely fine. I think the ankle was a little swollen. “He didn’t have any serious injuries, just a few scratches on his leg,” she said.
Simone Chedid (front) posed for a happy holiday airport selfie with her husband Nick Noble, back left, her son Marcos and daughter-in-law Wendy. But the trip ended in tragedy
Ms Chedid (right) from Sydney has been left in a terrible situation after Mr Noble (left) died suddenly in Bali. She cannot afford to pay for the repatriation of his body and an insurance company will not say whether it will cover the costs.
“He had no scars on his body. When the paramedics contacted me, they said he probably had a heart attack or stroke because he didn’t have any injuries on his body.”
She was deeply shocked ‘because I thought my husband was very strong’.
Ms Chedid said there was no other explanation than that Mr Noble was having a medical episode.
“(He was driving) very slowly, and he wasn’t drunk. Nothing. He unfortunately had this (aneurysm).”
Although the couple had taken out good insurance for their trip, Mrs Chedid said: ‘Unfortunately I have not received anything from the insurance company yet’.
Her good friend, Brigitte Mentzing, who is also Brazilian, said: ‘She hasn’t gotten a yes or no from the insurance (company) yet.’
“She has signed documents stating that she will pay for the repatriation of the body and all the costs, because so far she has not had any help from the insurance.”
Ms Mentzing said she is still hopeful that this “may change”, but they “don’t know yet if insurance will pay”.
In the meantime she has a GoFundMe page to help her dear friend, who is unable to work due to the situation, with the costs, including planning the funeral.
“You take out insurance for a motorbike, for surfing, for extreme sports, not for an aneurysm,” says Chedid.
‘So I don’t know what the insurance company is going to do with this, because the body is still there (in Bali).’
Nick Noble, 54, suffered an aneurysm while on a scooter on a surfing holiday in Bali with his Brazilian-born wife Simone Chedid, 52, on June 24. The couple are pictured
Nick Noble, who died in Bali last month, is pictured with his wife Simone Chedid
She has received one phone call from a Canberra official about her situation, but the Australian government has not offered to assist with the repatriation of Mr Noble’s body.
Mrs Chedid said her husband’s children, Charlie, 21, and daughter Grace, 17, “are getting support from their mother but of course they are suffering a lot”.
While her grief is still intense and the situation surrounding her husband’s body has not yet been resolved, she switches from the past tense to the present tense when speaking about Mr. Noble.
“Nicholas was a fantastic father, these boys have a very close bond,” she said.
“We are so grateful to have Nicholas as a loving husband and father.”
She draws comfort from the close-knit Brazilian expat community, particularly her brother who also lives in Sydney, and from Mrs Mentzing, who organised the fundraiser.
“I try every day,” she said.
“Day after day I have to shake myself (when I realize I’m) without the love of my life. He was my friend. He was my love. He was everything to me.”
With the expected costs of repatriation, funeral expenses and daily expenses, the bills are piling up as Mrs Chedid tries to cope with her grief.
Nick Noble and Simone Chedid were photographed during their vacation in Bali in June 2024
“I don’t have money in my account for that,” she said.
Mrs Mentzing added: ‘We as Brazilians have to become a family, because we have no family here.
‘And although (Simone and Nick) did everything right, they had the travel insurance, but so far there has been no yes or no and the costs keep coming.
‘So that was the idea of the GoFundMeto do what we can [for] Simone’s life will make her feel less stressed because we can’t bring Nick back.’