Heartbreaking tribute to murdered Perth surfer Callum Robinson shared by dear friend
A close friend of Perth surfer Callum Robinson, who was killed on a surfing trip in Mexico, has shared a touching tribute in an emotional post.
Alongside a picture of a small toy koala latched onto a house plant, Samantha Pecunes remembered Callum — affectionately known as the “Big Koala”.
“Had the coolest sign from Callum this weekend involving this koala ... still not over it. We miss you Big Koala,” she wrote.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Callum’s girlfriend Emily Horwath reposted the snap with the miniature animal’s special backstory.
“Last year my friends found a little toy koala outside a bar. They ended up giving it to me and we named him Karl,” Emily wrote.
“When Cal couldn’t join us on a trip to Croatia I decided to take Karl in his place, if the Big Koala couldn’t join me I was at least bringing the little koala.
“It became a bit between Cal and I, when we couldn’t travel with each other we’d take Karl instead and send each other pictures of Karl along the way.”
Callum, 33, his brother Jake, 30, and their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad were on a surfing trip in Baja California when they were shot and their bodies dumped in a 4m-deep well.
Prosecutors believe the incident was a botched robbery by thieves who wanted their ute for tyres and spare parts.
Earlier this week, Emily reflected on her happiest moments with Callum on Instagram, sharing a gut-wrenching message he sent her months before the brutal killings.
In a post, she expressed her deep heartache and how significant it was to receive a small sign from Callum that held significance in a dark time.
“Somehow the days are getting harder, during one of those particularly hard moments Sam sent me that she found a little koala without knowing the significance it meant to me,” she said.
“I have our Karl hanging on one of our pathos plans and love that Sam has one of hers.”
This month, Callum and Jake’s father led a paddle out surrounded by his sons’ friends in a memorial on the San Diego beach his son loved.
From the shore their mother Debra Robinson watched on as the group honoured her sons with a surfer’s goodbye.
