It is with heavy hearts we report that Rosanna Cossettini, the second wife of Thredbo landslide survivor Stuart Diver, lost her decade long battle with breast cancer over the weekend.
Stuart Diver came to Australia’s attention in August 1997 when he was the only person pulled alive from the catastrophic landslide that destroyed the Bimbadeen and Caryina Lodges in the usually idyllic, Thredbo Ski Village. Although suffering severe hypothermia, Diver survived being buried under the rubble for over 65 hours in sub-zero temperatures with only a small blanket and jacket.
Stuart and his first wife Sally, had been staying on the ground floor of Bimbadeen. Following the landslide, debris had trapped Stuart on his back leaving him unable to move but protected by mattresses and broken furniture. After laying on his back in the dark for three days, rescue teams finally reached him. As the water and mud rose around him, he pressed his nose into the concrete above to take in as much oxygen as he could. Sadly, by this stage, his wife Sally had drowned despite his efforts to hold her out of the rushing water. Sally was one of eighteen people who died after being buried alive by the landslide.
Believing he would never find happiness again, when Stuart unexpectedly found love with Rosanna Cossettini in 1999, it felt like the whole of Australia were there to wish him well. We all agreed, If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Stuart.
Recounting how he first met Rosanna in his well-known biography Survival, Stuart said “I’d see Rosanna Cossettini now and then at the pub or walking around the village. We would chat but I never thought it would really amount to anything."
Amount to something however, it most certainly did after the two started dating. Stuart was quoted at the time as saying "With Rosanna, I found myself loving again." In 2002, Stuart and Rosanna were married in a beautiful ceremony in the Snowy Mountains and continued to live in Thredbo where they owned and operated a B&B.
Then tragedy struck for a second time.
Just two weeks after their wedding, Rosanna was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went into remission but sadly, the cancer returned in July 2013.
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Although the couple were told that Rosanna would not be able to have a child following her cancer treatment, by some kind of beautiful miracle, in September 2011, they welcomed baby Alessia into the world.
After fighting a long and courageous battle, Rosanna sadly passed away on Sunday. Her funeral will be held this Friday.
Our thoughts are with Stuart and their family.