Ed Sheeran, his wife, and their 7 month old daughter traveled through a global pandemic to get to Australia for a funeral. Michael Gudinski, an incredible friend and mentor to Ed Sheeran died suddenly of a heart attack, and there was no way Ed was going to miss out on being able to pay his final respects to someone he loved so dearly. The risks of traveling with his wife and young infant were difficult enough as it was, yet Sheeran had no idea of the dangers that would be lurking in the shadows towards the end of his stay. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Sheeran and his young family narrowly escaped before their luxury resort became completely taken over by floodwaters.
In order to attend the funeral, Ed Sheeran and his family had to comply with pandemic protocols and quarantine for 2 weeks. They opted to spend their time at a luxury resort called the Sweven Estate which is roughly an hour away from downtown Sydney. The 141 acre property is a private space that aided in shielding Sheeran from the the probing public eye.
The property boasts an outdoor cinema, personal chef, and a wide array of wild animals that roam the property and add to the overall experience. The exclusive estate offers world class accommodations and is available for rent at the cost of roughly $4,000 per night.
Unfortunately, there is not much of this left of this property today. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Ed Sheeran and his family "managed to leave the property on the last road that had not been closed due to rising floodwaters, making their way to Sydney airport before boarding a private jet to Melbourne." Even more shocking is the fact that this all occurred on their way to the funeral, adding even more stress to the already difficult situation.
Even more shocking is the incredibly sad reality of just how serious this situation was. Unfortunately, the Sheeran's were not alone in their struggle. Only a few kilometers away from the road they were able to narrowly flee from, the floodwaters proved to be fatal. SMH reports that a young, 25 year old man by the name of Ayaz Younus tragically lost his life as he was unable to find safety from the strong forces of the water.
The trip has truly been an emotional one for Ed Sheeran and his family, who are surely counting their blessings and are thankful for making it home safely.
Sources: SMH, Sydney Morning Herald