WTF stories of the year
FROM a highrise window cleaner’s bong hit to the city’s real life superhero – these are Gold Coast moments of 2021 that left us saying “what the heck?!”
DRONE SMOKES, Jul 19
A woman who organised a drone to deliver a pack of cigarettes to her Broadbeach hotel quarantine room was slapped with a fine.
Police said she organised the drone to deliver the cigarettes to the balcony of her room while she was in hotel quarantine on July 11.
The 44-year-old was able to collect the cigarettes from the drone before it flew off.
She was fined $1334 for failing to comply with a Covid-19 direction.
The (alleged) thief wasshocked –he I must’ve thought icer was a police off Herojaysonhuthmann
ACCUSED DRUG SMUGGLER IN SHIP CONTAINER, Nov 10
A Sydney millionaire and accused drug smuggler who allegedly tried to cross the border in a shipping container remains behind bars.
Mostafa Baluch was found by police in a Mercedes in a shipping container allegedly attempting to enter into Queensland at the Gold Coast border at 1am.
It is alleged Baluch was a part of an attempt to smuggle 900kg of cocaine, valued at $270m, into Australia.
Footage showed detectives quietly approach the container before knocking on it and receiving one back. Soon after they were handcuffing a man alleged to be Baluch and rummaging in a bag containing wads of cash.
Baluch is alleged to have been the financier behind the drug shipment.
Baluch allegedly cut off an ankle monitor and disappeared on October 25, days after he was granted bail over a string of drug offences.
During the search for Baluch, police raided two properties in Sydney’s west.
They seized more than $250,000 cash, about 200g of cocaine, 485g of an unknown substance, mobile phones and an electronic money counter as part of the raids in Potts Hill and Yagoona.
‘BONG HIT’ HANGING FROM HIGH-RISE, Oct 19
A tradie was filmed smoking what appeared to be a bong while suspended from rigging attached to a soaring tower at Surfers Paradise.
The 13-second video circulating on social media platform Tiktok was accompan
ied by the caption “still can’t believe this just happened”.
In footage, the worker, wearing a helmet, high-vis and sunnies, is passed a lighter and the apparent bong crafted out of a Gatorade bottle by a man standing on a balcony.
The tradie inhales, leans back and blows out a smoke cloud before handing back the makeshift utensil.
COACH TACKLES ALLEGED CAR THIEF MID-MATCH, Nov 11
A Good Samaritan helped police crash-tackle an alleged car thief after a luxury stolen car was dumped at a sports field.
Dad-of-three and Aquaman lookalike Jayson Huthmann-grace chased one alleged thief on foot before making the diving tackle.
Polair footage shows the co-accused appearing to stop before surrendering to the ground as a police officer arrives and subdues him.
Police say the drama was at a sports field just before the start of an Oztag game.
Mr Huthmann-grace was coaching his son’s Oztag team when he saw a helicopter circling and police lights.
“My initial thought was ‘holy s--t are they going to be driving that car on the field?’ Luckily they didn’t because there are safety bollards.
“Then I saw two guys running and the police were trying to chase them. I ran 80 metres to catch the guys and then did a baseball slide underneath the fence, got up and started straight for the bigger guy and tackled him.”
Mr Huthmann-grace said he shouted at the second al
leged thief to “get the f--k on the ground”. He complied.
“He was shocked, he must’ve thought I was a police officer.”
Like a true legend, Mr Huthmann-grace then carried on coaching his son’s game.
CAR CRASHES INTO STARBUCKS, Sept 24
Off-duty medicos rushed to the Broadbeach Starbucks after a man, 83, drove his car into the front of the cafe.
The car drove through a metal bollard and into the window of the Surf Parade coffee shop at 1.45pm.
A nearby worker said two bystanders copped the force of the car, which was travelling at up to 30km/h before it crashed.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said seven people were assessed at the scene, with five taken to Gold Coast hospitals. “Everyone was very lucky, there were only minor injuries,” he said.
HORSEBACK PROTEST, Aug 22
A Hollywood movie stuntman was fined $7000 after riding his horse through border blockades during an antilockdown protest.
Michael Corrigan, 52, was fined after taking part in the demo at Coolangatta-tweed Heads on August 22.
He was cheered by other protesters, with one woman yelling:
“He’s back, woooh!”
Mr Corrigan, of Murwillumbah, was among 50 people fined. Ten were arrested.