Australian dad is forced to say his final goodbye to his wife and three children on FaceTime before dying from coronavirus he caught in luxury ski resort town of Aspen
- Graham Findlay was hospitalised in Melbourne suffering severe fever and cough
- The husband and father-of-three said his final farewell to family via video link
- A large funeral service is not possible now but a fitting farewell will come in time
- Mr Findlay and his wife tested positive after returning from a ski trip in Aspen
- About 20 Australians are believed to have been infected at the high-end resort
An Australia man has been forced to say his last farewell to his family via a video link after contracting coronavirus on a trip to the United States.
Graham Findlay spent his final moments with his wife and three children on FaceTime while in isolation at a Melbourne Hospital.
He was among about 20 Australians who are believed to have been infected with COVID-19 in the luxury ski resort town of Aspen, Colorado, in early March.
Graham Findlay (right) and his wife Gabby (left) both contracted coronavirus on a ski trip to Aspen, Colorado, in the United States
Doctors tried desperately to treat Mr Findlay with anti-viral malarial drugs in a last-ditch effort to save his life.
But Mr Findlay's condition worsened and he died at Frankston Hospital in Melbourne on Thursday.
Both Mr Findlay and his wife Gabby tested positive for the virus weeks after they returned home from their skiing holiday.
Soon after testing positive Mr Findlay was hospitalised with a high temperature and severe cough.
Mr Findlay was a popular figure in the community and a member of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club, but a large funeral service is not possible due to the COVID-19 crisis.
'Vale Graham Findlay "Vice Commodore" Western Port Bay Marina. Graham passed away last night in Frankston Hospital from coronavirus. Our thoughts are with Gabby, family and friends,' the yacht club posted on their Facebook page.
Graham Findlay was in isolation due to coronavirus and spent his final moments with his wife and three children on FaceTime
Melbourne's 'Colorado cluster': Coronavirus swept through the city's rich suburbs after a group of skiers returned from Aspen
'There will be no service due to the current situation however, in time there may be a memorial service for Graham.
'At 6pm this evening raise a glass to Graham. God Bless.'
It's understood Gabby is now out of isolation.
With a total of 1135 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria to date and eight deaths, a large number of those infections have been linked to what has become known as the 'Colorado cluster'.
Dozens who came in contact with members of the group are believed to have been infected while attending exclusive school cocktail parties in Toorak and Armadale.
Last week Health Minister Greg Hunt slammed an unnamed couple accused of ignoring quarantine advice after contracting the virus at a party in Aspen.
'Some people think that the laws and, even more importantly, the notion of socially responsible behaviour does not apply to them,' Mr Hunt said.
'In my view, that's a disgrace ... The police should feel free to throw the book at them.'
Aspen in Colorado is a ski resort for the rich and famous. It has also been linked to the spread of the coronavirus (stock image)
