Jun 27, 2023

Noosa community walk John’s path to remember him

Untitled design (16)
The walk honoured John Kerr while also restoring courage to the community to carry on walking in the area. [Source: ABC News]

Members of the Noosa community gathered and walked for the late John Kerr over the weekend to honour his memory. 

About 500 residents gathered on Sunday morning to remember the local 87-year-old man who died after being violently attacked on a morning walk last week.

Mr Kerr was found on a boardwalk path on Hastings Street in Noosa Heads after what is being described as a random attack. Despite attempts to help from people passing by, paramedics confirmed he died at the scene.

Locals attending the memorial gathered at the beach before the walk to observe a minute’s silence and lay flowers. 

The event was organised by fellow long-time local, David Knechtli, who also frequently walked the path Mr Kerr did before his death. He read a statement from Mr Kerr’s family to a teary crowd. 

“We are broken-hearted to lose our beloved John,” he said.

3bdc2532d837bb69c2313e121c358cf26f2a1263-16x9-x0y0w1304h734
John Kerr. [Source: Queensland Police]

Sparked from a social media post, Mr Knechtli decided to organise the walk to not only remember Mr Kerr but also restore some form of safety to local residents who had raised fears about walking in the area after the attack. 

“I’m not going to be afraid in my own community,” Mr Knechtli told ABC News.

Mr Knechtli advised residents to stay safe and vigilant when walking early in the morning but to avoid stopping normal daily life activities. 

A person of interest was taken into custody on the day of the attack who is allegedly helping police with the investigation. No charges have been laid.

Police also released security camera footage of a person and some cars that were in the area at the time of the incident and wish to speak to them. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Retired pensioners say living on a cruise is cheaper than a retirement home

A retired married couple has found it’s cheaper to stay in a state of a permanent holiday aboard cruise ships than invest in a retirement home. Read More

Government denies changes to home care exclusions list

The Federal Government has rejected calls that it suddenly excluded key items and services from Home Care Packages (HCP), instead stating that a recent update only clarified what could not be claimed. Read More

As flood waters rise, aged care facilities remain resilient

Over the past two days, 64 aged care residents in Rochester, Victoria, have been evacuated to safety and housed across the community, thanks to good planning by their facility as flood waters rise in the area. Read More
Advertisement