Shane Dixon's heartbreaking posts before cruise plunge
Shane Dixon sadly plunged to his death on May 6 on board a P&O cruise ship, after racking up a $9000 casino debt that he couldn't afford to pay.
His family said that the debt, on top of series of personal tragedies and setbacks, including health issues, family deaths, and the breakdown of his marriage which led to him being estranged from his three children, was the last straw for Shane.
"[After he lost the money] his brain would have been going 100 miles an hour. He probably thought, 'F*** it, I can't afford it,'" his brother Scott Dixon told Daily Mail Australia.
Shane was the eldest of five children to parents Susan and Wilbur, and grew up in Campbelltown, Sydney's western suburbs.
His youngest brother, Dylan who was a twin, tragically died at just three months old in 1993, leaving a mark on the family.
In 2009, Shane lost his father at the age of 54, and the loss had a huge effect on Shane who described him as the "strength of the family" and "life of all parties".
Adding to the pain, Shane was also experiencing heart problems and his brother Scott was diagnosed with a terminal illness, which he is still fighting.
On top of that Shane was also struggling with the breakdown of his marriage, and now old Facebook posts about his struggles have re-emerged.
"F***ing sucks.. Now over 12 years [and I have] not seen or herd [sic] from my kids," he wrote in September.
"Not knowing how they [are] doing or if they [are] going through hard times just sucks."
On December 31, 2022 he wrote: "The only happy [thing about] New Years is that hopefully 1 year will be happy for me when I meet my kids again."
"12 years to not see or hear from you.. Breaks me every year but I stay strong, hoping one new year my dreams will come true," he wrote with a picture of his three young children.
Sadly, he never got to fix his broken relationship with his children.
In another eerie post obtained by Daily Mail Australia, last year the truck driver described how May was his "hardest month".
"My hardest month May is just around the corner," he wrote on April 2023.
"[It's] not only my birthday, but my eldest girl turns 18 that I have not seen or heard from in over 12 years. My boy turns 15 and [it's] the same situation as my girl. [It's] my dad's birthday also who passed away in 2009 [at] only 54 years of age.
"So yes, to me life is f***ed. [So] don't judge me or let's just swap shoes."
His eldest daughter turned 19 this year, just three days after his death, and Shane would've been 46 in just one week.
Several others have since spoken out on the enticing gambling tactics, and Shane's friend that he made on board the cruise even recalled how "full of energy and happy" Shane was just hours before his death.
Earlier this week, a P&O spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that it would be inappropriate to comment on Shane's death as the matter is under investigation from the coroner.
In response to the other allegations and calls for a gambling reform, she said: "P&O Cruises Australia appreciates the feedback from guests."
"We have Responsible Gaming Conduct Policies on all P&O ships and take those policies seriously."
"We encourage any guest with concerns to get in contact with us so that we can investigate."
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